Fate's Wide Wheel
by Ultrawoman
Summary: Rory got done with Yale, and went out into the world to be a journalist. Jess turned The Subsect into a success and then wrote another highly successful novel. Now she's going to interview him for the paper she works for, but here's the twist, in this story, Rory and Jess have never met before... until now.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had the idea for this fic a few weeks ago, standing outside my place of work, freezing my butt off, waiting for someone to come and unlock already. My mind wanders when I'm bored and sometimes fic ideas turn up unexpectedly. I wasn't sure where I was going with the story beyond the first scene then. Now I'm done with my previous Literati WIPs, I can focus on this one, and I think I know where I'm headed with it, so here we go...**

_**(Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Gilmore Girls belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino and other people that aren't me)**_

Chapter 1

It was freezing cold. Rory had never been all that great about cold weather, in spite of the fact she supposed she should be used to it by now. They had some pretty wicked winters in Connecticut, and she spent a couple of bad ones in other places too, but this particular day in New York felt that much colder than any day ever had before.

Dressing both stylishly and for the weather came pretty naturally to the daughter of Lorelai Gilmore, and Rory didn't think she really could have done any better than her fashionable long coat and complementary hat. Of course, she had expected to go from the hotel to the cab, then the cab to the cafe with very little actual being outdoors. It was all going so well until she got to the cafe door and found it locked, displaying a Closed sign. Through the glass she could see a coffee machine warming up and that only made her feel worse. The wonderful life-giving nectar that was the java would certainly have helped right now. Actually, some feeling in her fingers and toes would be great too.

"So cold," she muttered to herself, rubbing her bare hands together.

She wondered how weird she would look if she shoved her hands into her purse for warmth, not that Rory really thought that would work. She checked her watch then looked back at the cafe. It ought to be open and her interview ought to be here any minute. Rory considered calling the office and checking something hadn't gone wrong, but then thought better of it. After all, it was only five after, and she didn't want to seem too over-zealous.

A guy approached down the sidewalk with a styrofoam cup in his hand that steamed a little. He took a long drink as he got close and then moved towards the trash can three feet away.

"Can I have that?" said Rory aloud, wincing at the sound of her own voice.

The confused man turned slowly to look at her, cup still in his hand. He smirked a little and then came forward, showing her inside the vessel.

"It's empty," he told her simply.

"Oh, I know, I don't..." she began, grabbing the cup from his hands and wrapping her fingers around it. "Residual warmth," she declared happily, shivering all over.

The mystery man smirked as he came to stand beside her. Rory was a little embarrassed about making a show of herself, but honestly, any port in a storm, and it did feel good to get just a little feeling back in her fingers.

"So, the pockets are just for show, huh?" he asked her, shoving his hands into his own coat pockets.

"Oh, yeah," Rory nodded, looking down at the faux-pockets on her coat. "Fashion is great that way."

He nodded in understanding, watching Rory look sad as the cup in her hands grew chillier by the second without any hot liquid to keep it warm. His hands slipped out of his pockets and produced a pair of gloves. He held them out to Rory, offering to exchange them for the empty cup that was doing her no good anymore anyway.

"Oh no, I couldn't..."

"Take them, please," he insisted when she tried to refuse, pulling the cup out of her hands and pushing the gloves into her grasp instead. "Chivalry isn't completely dead yet," he said definitely, throwing away the trash and returning to her side.

Rory smiled widely and pulled on the soft black gloves, glad to have her fingers away from the harsh cold of a New York winter morning.

"Thank you. You are a gentleman."

The stranger smirked; "That's a minority opinion, but you're welcome."

Rory was at least a little intrigued by that comment, but decided she was safe here. There were enough people around that she didn't have to be scared of standing close to a man she didn't know who was by his own admission not quite a gentleman. After all, actions spoke louder than words and he had just done her a favour. Rory now had slightly warmer hands, unfortunately, the rest of her remained pretty darn cold.

"I know I got here early but this is ridiculous!" she complained aloud, turning to peer into the cafe window again.

It was well past eight now and still the door was locked.

"This place is kind of a law unto itself," her companion told her, clearly a regular customer of the establishment. "The owner's a little... free-spirited," he explained with a grin. "Best coffee in the city though, no contest."

"So I'm told," Rory nodded. "I at least thought my interview would be here by now..."

"You're here for an interview?"

"Not for a job or anything," she explained, looking across at where her new friend was leant back against the wall, mid-way to lighting a cigarette. "I'm a reporter."

The lighter came down without completing its task, as the man stared at her.

"Rory Gilmore?" he said around the unlit cigarette still between his lips.

"Yes," she frowned, confused for a moment. "Wait a second, you're not...?"

"Jess Mariano, yeah," he nodded confirmation, removing the smoke from his mouth and offering his free hand for Rory to shake. "I'm sorry I was... I was expecting Rory to be a guy," he admitted.

"Oh, yeah," she giggled girlishly. "I get that sometimes. It's short for Lorelai. I actually always wondered what Jess was short for."

"It's actually Latin," he told her very seriously, before the smirk broke through again. "Means 'my Mom was wasted and/or high the day she named me'."

"Oh. Right," Rory smiled slightly nervously because she wasn't sure whether that was really meant to be a joke or not.

She didn't get a chance to ask or even consider it when suddenly the sound of locks being undone got her attention. Rory and Jess both turned towards the cafe entrance and hurried inside the second the door opened. Rory headed straight for a table and then glanced back to see Jess speaking with the owner, a middle-aged man with a five o'clock shadow already at this early hour, a ponytail, and a collection of piercings all down one ear. Jess called him a free spirit and Rory could certainly see that. She suspected he was also a buddy of Mr Mariano from the way they were laughing together and shared an almost secret handshake before he came to join her at the table.

"So, I ordered two coffees," he said as he slid into the seat opposite Rory. "You do drink coffee, right?"

Rory laughed like a bell, so loud and sudden it actually made Jess jump.

"I'm so sorry," she apologised. "Super unprofessional. It's just, that's probably the craziest question I've ever been asked. You wouldn't understand because you just met me, but asking me if I like coffee, or in fact asking my mother if she likes coffee, it's kind of like asking if Cookie Monster likes cookies."

Jess smirked at the reference.

"Wow. Solid Sesame Street knowledge," he said too seriously.

"You understood, so you must be as well-educated as I am," she countered, as the cafe owner arrived at their table with their coffees.

"On the house," he winked at Rory and then walked away.

"Is that because I'm with you or...?"

"Doubtful," Jess shook his head, sipping his own coffee.

He watched Rory over the rim of his cup as she looked over at Tyler walking away and then shook her head. She didn't believe him. That was weird to Jess. For a young woman as good looking and amusing as she was, it was a little weird to think Rory couldn't understand a guy liking her. Jess was intrigued by that, and ever more so when he watched her pick up her coffee cup and take a long sip. Her eyelids flickered and a genuine moan escaped her throat.

"Oh wow," she gasped after swallowing. "That is... That's the best coffee I've had in months!"

"Apparently," said Jess, clearing his throat.

No woman had ever had quite that reaction to coffee in front of him. It was enough to do things to a man that were severely inappropriate in a public place, especially with a woman he had only just met.

"So, interview," said Rory then, scrambling to get out her recorder and her notebook. "Professional just seems to have gone out of the window this morning, I'm so sorry," she apologised as she prepared herself.

"It's fine," Jess assured her. "Honestly, I'm not sure what a professional interview would look like anyway. I don't do a lot of these things, but the first book took off and the second is doing well... I pretty much got told to just be personable already," he rolled his eyes. "Writing I can do, but as a rule... well, the verbal thing, it comes and goes," he explained.

"Well, I promise to go easy on you to begin with, no tough questions for the first ten minutes," said Rory with a smile. "That sound good?"

"Sure," he nodded once.

As good as her word, Rory started out with the basics. Some things she was already pretty sure she knew from research she had done, the minimal number of previous interviews Jess had taken part in. They coverede where he was from and who his influences were, the usual things. Of course eventually they had to get to the tougher questions, and deeper more involved answers were required.

"I know your new book is the main focus right now, but I'd like to take you back to _The Subsect_, if I may," said Rory, pulling out a copy of said book from her purse.

Jess was amazed to see it, mostly because it was not one of the mass produced copies, but bore cover art he recognised as one of the very early print runs. Just a few hundred were produced at a small publishing house in Philly, then a few hundred more when those sold well. A bigger, more established publisher went ahead and churned out the thousands that followed, but this little reporter had something rare in her hands.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked curiously, eyeing the book that was dog-eared and terribly creased down the spine.

"Oh, um, from this little book shop in New Haven, Connecticut," she explained. "I went there a lot when I was attending Yale, and I'm always looking for the rare and special. One day I picked up this weird little black book, started reading and couldn't stop," she explained, blushing as she did so and unable to help it. "You have such a unique voice, and the way you told the story was just... I was just lost in the words and the emotion. I actually missed a class, I was so caught up in this book, I forgot to leave the store."

Jess smiled genuinely at that. Rory wasn't just a reporter sent to interview him, she was also a real fan, and not one of those girls that pretended to care about his writing ability because they met him and thought he was hot. Jess knew plenty of women like that, and whilst he would admit to sometimes not really behaving at his best around them, he liked this better. Rory knew writing, she had to if she was the great journalist he assumed her to be, and she spoke in the same kind of terms about his writing that he spoke of other authors. Her eyes sparkled with the thrill of it all and her cheeks took on a pretty pink blush as she explained how his first book, the one he now looked at and winced because he wished he could rewrite it all, was such a favourite of hers.

"I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be asking you questions and instead I'm rambling at you like a crazed stalker fan," she apologised.

"It's fine. The rambling is cute," he told her kindly, finishing off his coffee.

Rory cleared her throat and tried to gain some composure. She wasn't great with taking compliments at the best of times, and honestly, this guy made her nervous. Not in a bad way. Actually it was in a really good, tingling all over, don't ever let it stop way, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing for Rory when she had an interview to complete.

"So, _The Subsect_," she started over, going on to ask Jess about his inspirations for the book, what he was trying to convey with the story and the characters.

After that, they went on to the new book and discussed the finer points of that one. Rory asked all the intelligent questions and seemed to understand any and all references Jess made to other literary works and authors. She even caught his more obscure movie and music references, which he hadn't expected at all. Rory was certainly a singular woman from what he had seen so far. It was quite the surprise to Jess to realise he would like to see more.

"Well, I think that's everything I need," said Rory eventually, clicking off the recorder.

Her eyes wandered to her watch as she downed the last of her third coffee, and ended up almost spitting that final gulp all over the table.

"Oh my God!" she gasped as she noted the time. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea how long we were sitting here."

Jess frowned some and checked his own watch. His eyes widened when he too realised the hour. He and Rory had been sat here conversing for the better part of the morning and he genuinely hadn't even noticed. Any minute now the lunch rush would be starting. That was just crazy.

"I have to go. My boss is going to kill me!" said Rory, hurriedly repacking her bag and throwing her scarf around her neck.

"I'm sorry, it's probably my fault," said Jess, though he couldn't understand how this had happened.

He had told Rory he wasn't much of a talker and he meant it, though the one subject he knew he was pretty able on was books. The two of them had covered every angle of literature this morning, not just speaking in varied terms about his own work and influences. They pitted Rand against Hemingway, raved about the wonder of Ginsberg's Howl, and pulled apart the Russians for good measure. Almost four hours of conversation, and Jess had been so captivated by Rory Gilmore that he couldn't spent another four just the same and probably never have noticed the time passing. That was amazing to him.

"It was very nice meeting you, Mr Mariano," she said politely, sliding out of her seat as he did the same.

"Please, it's just Jess," he told her, shaking the hand she offered him. "Nice meeting you too, Rory," he assured her.

She smiled as she extracted her hand from his grip then and turned to go, calling over her shoulder a thanks for the additional coffees that he had insisted on paying for. Jess raised a hand in some kind of acknowledgement or just goodbye, and then she was gone.

"Don't tell me the great Jess Mariano is falling in love," said Tyler as he appeared at his friends shoulder then.

"Geez, man. You really need to give up the hard stuff," he rolled his eyes as he looked at him.

Still, there was a strange smile on Jess' lips as he returned to his seat and contemplated the two coffee cups across from each other on the table, one that had been his own and one that Rory had drank from. Falling in love would be ridiculous, even if he did know her better. Jess had long since decided he was incapable of such a thing or at the very least that he was never likely to meet a woman in real life that could inspire such emotion in him. Still, whatever had happened this morning with Rory was certainly causing a feeling he had never felt before. What had that reporter done to him?

_To Be Continued..._

**A/N2: So, love it? Hate it? Please let me know your thoughts in a review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh my! Nineteen reviews on the first chapter of this fic? You guys are awesome! Thank you so much :) For those that asked, Jess is still Luke's nephew, but obviously he was never sent to live with him, and so Rory never met him. That may be a factor later ;) Now, onto the next chapter...**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 2

"So how're things in the Big Apple?"

"Mom, I told you, nobody from New York actually calls it that," Rory smiled as she sat down on the end of the bed and let herself fall backwards against the comforter.

"Well, I'm not from there, so I can call it whatever I please," said Lorelai.

Rory just knew she was poking out her tongue too, even though she couldn't actually see. They just knew each other that well, as mother and daughter should really. They had always been more best friends than anything else, and the only thing that came hard for Rory about growing up and getting on so well in her journalistic career was having to be away from her home town and her mom. Stars Hollow wasn't so very far away when Rory was in New York, but she had to go to plenty of other places too, for interviews and investigations. This was the longest she had been so close to her home town for a while actually, and still she hadn't the time to make it back into Connecticut for a visit. Hopefully soon, but for now, the telephone would just have to do.

"Everything's fine with me, I'm more worried about you," Rory told her mother. "You must be so lonely with Luke away."

"It's not so much fun," she sighed in reply. "But it is important for him to spend time with April, and I just couldn't take the week to go with him right now. Things are crazy with the inn, and the wedding plans, and all of the kids with the chicken pox..."

"Aaw, how is Sookie doing with that?" Rory checked worriedly.

It was tough on her friend at the best of times, having three young children to cope with, but having them all catch the chicken pox at the same time, alongside their father, Jackson, who could be the biggest baby of all, Rory knew Sookie had to be struggling. She also knew that had a knock-on effect on her mother because it left her kind of high and dry at the inn.

"She's okay. Coping, kind of," explained Lorelai. "Hate to be selfish here, but the bigger problem is the chefs we've had temping at the inn. Seriously, we're on the fourth one now."

"Fourth?" checked Rory. "Okay, I know the first objected to your coffee habit to the extreme, and the second one was Michel's fault, but what happened to the third?"

"There was an incident which I'm pretty sure I can't get into for legal reasons," Lorelai joked. "But it concerned a spatula, a pot of molasses, and a distinct lack of clothing."

"Oh, yikes!" Rory exclaimed, feeling a little grossed out. "Well, I hope things settle down soon. I wish I was there to help you out actually."

"Well, it won't be long now, sweets. Vacation is planned for, what? Four weeks' time?"

"Three weeks and six and a half days!" said Rory with a grin. "Not that I'm counting. Seriously, Mom, you know how much I love my job, but I am sooooo tired. It'll just be nice to sleep in the same bed every night for a week."

"Dirty!" her mother quipped, making them both laugh. "So today was the interview with the famous author type, right? How'd that go?"

"Really well," said Rory with a grin that came so naturally to her face at the very mention of this morning's interview. "He was a really nice guy. I'm not sure I was expecting that. Y'know authors can be real head-cases, or a lot meaner than they seem on the page anyway. Jess Mariano is... He's nice."

"Nice? Like nice manners or nice to stare at?" asked Lorelai curiously.

"Both actually," admitted Rory with a girlish giggle that she hadn't been expecting from her own throat. "I can't imagine why or how his picture has never been published anywhere."

"Ooh, very nice," her mother smiled then. "You think you're gonna see him again?"

Rory rolled her eyes, even though it was pointless when she couldn't be seen.

"Mom, it was an interview, not a first date."

"Well, yeah, but if you like him... it's been a while, sweets."

Her mom had a point and Rory knew it. Dating had become scarce in her life, and she blamed her job for that. The truth was, it wasn't just how busy she had become or how often she was travelling that she avoided going out with guys. Logan was a factor still, coming on for two years since she saw him last. He proposed on the day she graduated Yale, and Rory had refused him, knowing in her heart that being the little wife was never going to satisfy her. He was never quite the right guy for her, though he was very different to her first boyfriend. Dean was so solid, dependable, sweet, and yet he had become a little controlling and jealous as they got older. When he asked Rory to marry him, she already knew their relationship wasn't going to last. At the time of Dean's proposal, Rory had already met Logan who had shown her that settling down wasn't something she was ready for. The promise of a career and adventures of her own made her refuse that second proposal too. Since then she had been alone for the most part, and though it didn't make her sad most of the time, there were occasions when she wished she was part of a pair rather than all by herself.

"You still there, hon?" asked Lorelai after too long of a silence.

Rory snapped out of her daze and refocused on the conversation at hand.

"Yeah, I was just... I'm sorry," she apologised. "Um, so does Luke call much?"

"Every day," her mother told her, going on to elaborate on how things were with him.

Still, Lorelai was thinking about Rory's own dating situation or lack of same. She did understand that it was tough for her baby girl with her job the way it was. She travelled a lot, for interviews and stories. Though she was supposed to be based more in New York than anywhere else, she didn't seem to be there much sometimes. Trying to make a relationship with a person was always going to be tough, but Lorelai knew that Rory hadn't exactly made an effort, not since college.

Logan made her wary, even more so than Dean ever had. They were both nice guys in their own ways, but Lorelai knew that Rory hadn't seen a future with either of them, not seriously. She had career dreams that neither guy seemed to fully understand. As much as she loved them, and Lorelai was sure her daughter did, Rory never seemed head over heels in love with Dean or Logan, not in a real, serious way, not like Lorelai was in love with Luke.

She wished her daughter could find that, the all-consuming, head-over-heels, lost-to-the-feeling type of love that came along maybe once in a lifetime. Even if she couldn't have that, Lorelai at least wanted Rory to experience all aspects of life, including going out and having fun with a guy. He didn't have to be 'the one' to take you to a movie or out to dinner, he just had to be a nice person that you could stand to spend an evening with. No matter how many times Lorelai tried to encourage Rory, her baby just made excuses and got all awkward, until her mom felt bad for being pushy.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rory yawned terribly. "Mom, I really have to go. It's getting late and I have an early alarm tomorrow."

"Okay, honey," said Lorelai with a smile. "Three weeks, six and a half days!" she reminded her, and Rory giggled.

"I'll see you soon, Mom. Love you."

"Love you too, sweets. Stay safe!"

They both rang off and Rory tossed her cell phone onto the nightstand. Crawling under the covers she settled down to sleep, and yet her brain was still wide awake somehow. She thought of her interview with Jess, how easily they fell into conversation about books and movies, how sweet and funny and interesting he was. It certainly didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes either. Maybe it wasn't so crazy that her mom had encouraged her to see him again, but Rory knew she couldn't do that. Jess Mariano wouldn't be interested in her anyway. That was crazy talk.

* * *

Jess finished off the chapter he had been working on and sat back heavily in the chair. He stretched out his aching fingers until the knuckles cracked then took one last drag from his cigarette before it was spent. Stubbing it out in the ashtray he blew the smoke up towards the ceiling and leaned back so far the chair almost started tipping. He hadn't intended to start a third book so soon. He wasn't obliged to or anything and Jess had thought it might be nice to take a little break. He ought to have known he couldn't bear to stop writing.

She certainly had been inspiring. There was a vague idea in Jess' brain before today, but meeting Rory Gilmore sure had kick-started something in his head, amongst other places, he recalled as he reached for his coffee off the desk. It was cold by now, but in his mind he saw Rory sipping her steaming hot java, moaning with pleasure at the sensation. She was his kind of crazy, that was for sure, and much smarter than he had expected. Of course, in the first place he had expected Rory to be a guy, but even when he realised his mistake, he never thought for a second she would be as knowledgeable as she was, or as big a fan as she turned out to be. Jess supposed a person had to be reasonably intelligent to be a journalist, but he'd come across plenty that weren't half as smart as Rory, and it wasn't just book learning and the stuff schools taught that lived in her brain. She knew books, better than most librarians could boast. All the obscure movie references, classic rock songs and everything, Jess usually found the way he talked went over most people's heads, but Rory caught everything. It was one of those situations that Jess could only describe as feeling like he had known her his whole life, in spite of the fact he and Rory met for the very first time today.

The heroine in his latest novel took shape as he thought of the journalist that had interviewed him today. She wouldn't be a carbon copy, but Rory was inspiring a great deal about her. The baby blue eyes that a guy could drown in, the laugh that was so very infectious, the confidence mixed with a weird kind of innocence, the like of which Jess had never seen in a real live person before. She was the kind of woman Jess would love to write about for months, and given how much she was already inspiring him, he probably would too.

It wasn't that it didn't occur to him that if he liked her so much maybe he should see her again. Jess wasn't dumb, of course it crossed his mind to ask Rory out, but he wouldn't do it. Dating was just something he didn't really do anymore. Jess had reasons, or excuses as his friends would call them. He'd been hurt before, and he'd done some hurting that he wasn't particularly proud of.

The one true reason Jess always came back to when it came to dating was that no woman had never inspired him to want to try to make it work. One or two evenings in each other's company, a night or two in bed, that he could handle, but then he was bored or just over it. Rory could be different, he supposed, but considering it was just crazy. She was a journalist, she travelled around a lot, and probably wasn't even in New York that much. Jess himself bounced between here and Philly on a fairly regular basis, and that wasn't a great way to keep a relationship going.

"Not even worth thinking about," he muttered to himself, getting up from his chair to take his coffee mug to the kitchen sink.

The clock told him it was almost one a.m. Jess wasn't surprised. Some of his best writing happened at stupid o'clock at night, and since he was mostly his own boss, he didn't have to care. Taking himself off to bed, Jess tried to put Rory Gilmore out of his head, at least long enough to get to sleep. That didn't stop her from invading his dreams, of course, and there she was the moment his sub-conscious took over. Jess was doomed.

_To Be Continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I genuinely never expected so much interest in this fic. You lovely peops bowl me over - thank you so much :)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 3

It was weird to read about yourself. Jess Mariano had done it before, though very rarely on purpose. Reviews on his books were common enough to find, but he hardly ever went looking. Mostly he just stumbled across them somewhere or a friend would make a point of showing him if they were particularly good. Two days ago was the first time he gave an interview to a journalist that way, and now here he was with a copy of the paper in his hands, reading words he had said himself, in amongst a decent article written by one Lorelai Leigh Gilmore.

There was a smile on his face that Jess didn't really notice he was wearing at first. It wasn't just that Rory was complimentary about both his writing and his manners in her article, it was the way she wrote. He could hear her voice in the words, it was just very much her. That seemed like a weird opinion to have when he had only met her once, Jess realised, but it was true. He really could hear her voice in his head as he read over the article one more time.

'_It is a general consensus amongst movie goers, that a sequel almost always disappoints. It can never quite live up to the standards of its predecessor, and some would also apply this rule to an author's works. Be assured that if this is indeed a rule, then Jess Mariano's sophomore work is most definitely the exception. Equally as captivating and alive with colourful characters and deep emotion as 'The Subsect' before it, 'In Black and White' is a serious page turner, a worthy and wonderful addition to any reader's library_.'

It was quite the write up she had given him, and Jess was happy about that for more than one reason. He should just be pleased to know he had made a good impression and that sales of his latest novel should go up because of Rory Gilmore. What overshadowed that was thoughts of the woman herself, clouding his mind as she had been for two days and two nights now.

The electronic melody of his cell ringing snapped Jess from deep thoughts. He dumped the paper on the desk and pulled out his phone, accepting the call from a familiar number.

"Matthew," he greeted him. "What the hell are you doing up at this time of the morning?" he teased him.

"Hey, a very good friend of mine gets an interview in a major newspaper, I am up with the sun, man!" he confirmed, a newspaper rustling in his hands that Jess clearly heard.

"You saw it already," he nodded to himself. "And?"

"And? Even _I_ didn't know you were this cool!" his friend told him, and Jess laughed at that. "I mean, seriously, what did you do to this Lorelai Leigh to make her think you are, and I quote 'a fresh voice that cannot be compared to any that went before'?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything," said Jess definitely, though there was a smirk on his lips that wouldn't shift. "Rory's just... She's really into books, like completely hooked on phonics. I never met anybody like her."

"Was she hot?" asked a new voice, and Jess rolled his eyes as Chris fought Matt for the phone.

"Seriously, guys? Just put it on speaker!" he reminded them of the simple technological advancement that would stop all this trouble.

A few moments later, Jess knew from the weird echo that he was being heard by both his friends now, and anyone else who may or may not be in the room.

"Okay, so was she hot?" Chris repeated.

Jess bit his lip a moment.

"She wasn't not hot," he admitted awkwardly. "I don't know, man, we were there to talk about books and... and me, which is not my favourite topic, so mostly we talked about books, and movies, some music. She's into a lot of cool stuff, and coffee, man. You have never seen a woman enjoy coffee that much, I swear."

"A hot chick that likes books and coffee?" Matt recapped. "That's like the trifecta for you, man."

"So, I'm guessing this interview ended with more than a handshake and 'see you around'?" asked Chris.

"Not really," admitted Jess, feeling stupid in doing so.

His friends had taken what he said and without embellishment turned Rory into his dream woman. In fact that was literally true since he had already dreamt about her two of the past three nights. Maybe he was an idiot for letting somebody he had so much in common with, that he felt this attracted to just walk out on him, but Jess always thought it was easier to keep relationships short and simple.

The truth was, Jess Mariano had never been in love. In lust, certainly, but never love. He could blame a whole bunch of factors, and a lot of them went back to his parents. His father left his mother the day Jess was born, in spite of the fact they were married and supposedly in love. After Jimmy, Liz went through men faster than a normal woman went through Q-tips. She had marriages, so-called serious relationships, but every 'uncle' and 'step-father' came and went faster than Jess could blink. All these people that were supposed to be in love with his mother, or that Liz was supposed to be in love with, or both, it never worked. Jess had to assume either that kind of love just didn't exist in real life or that it was exceptionally rare. Certainly he had never stumbled across it outside of novels and movies.

Any kind of love and affection was pretty rare in Jess' life. Liz was the only family he really knew and she was worse than useless much of his young life. Just as soon as he was eighteen, he got out of dodge and tried to make it on his own. It didn't come easy, bouncing around between cities and towns, in a car that fell to pieces more often than it didn't, with barely enough money to scrape by. He started writing in the lonely hours between long shifts at dead end jobs. All the pain of his childhood, the struggles he had gone through, alongside his mother and without her. He made use of it, he formed it into a short novel, and by some random happenstance made friends with a couple of guys in Philadelphia that actually thought it was worth publishing.

Those guys were Matt and Chris, and the small press they owned was Truncheon Publishing. Jess moved into their apartment with them, helped out at the press and they made a few bucks. Then one day, in walked a woman who would change Jess' life forever. She worked for one of the big publishing houses, she had read 'The Subsect' and she thought it had potential. Next thing Jess knew he was on a best seller list and had made enough money to relocate back to New York, where his heart had always belonged, to write a follow up novel. At the age of twenty three, Jess couldn't deny life had changed a whole lot, but most definitely for the better. That didn't alter the fact that most of the time he was as alone now as he had ever been, and his friends worried about him because of it.

"Jess? You still there, man?" asked Matt when he was quiet too long.

Honestly, Jess almost forgot he even had the phone in his hand for a while there.

"I'm here," he confirmed. "You really think I should've asked Rory out?"

"Why not?" asked Matt then. "I mean, what do you have to lose? Other than a few more hours of your life alone in the dark with your addictions?"

Jess looked down at the coffee cup on his desk and then the cigarette balanced in the ashtray, beside his laptop that was queued up ready for him to write some more. Maybe he was becoming a little obsessive, and too much of a loner also. When he tried to recall the last time he had a woman in his apartment, it was a frighteningly long way back in the recesses of his mind, and it didn't help to realise that had been his mother! A woman to spend time with, to share his bed with, that was even longer, months that numbered more than he could count on one hand.

"So, you gonna call her?" asked Chris, and Jess could just imagine the dumb grin on his face when he said it too. "I mean, you have her number, right?"

Jess pulled open the desk drawer and rifled around for the card he was pretty sure was in there. Sure enough, he laid his hand straight on it, and there it was. Rory Gilmore's direct line. He smiled.

* * *

Rory sat back at her desk a moment and smiled as she stared at her name in print. After all these months, it still never got old to see a by-line that read Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. The interview with Jess Mariano had gone so well, and the article seemed to just write itself off the back of her notes and the recording of said interview. The only issue had been how lost she got in their taped conversation, how easy it was just to daydream away listening to Jess talk. It made Rory feel foolish to realise she was doing it, and she blushed terribly each time the recording playing through her headphones caused her to zone out mid-sentence she was typing. Thankfully, nobody else seemed to notice, but that never stopped Rory from feeling embarrassed.

Putting the paper down, Rory quickly text her mom to let her know the article was in today's edition and that if she couldn't get a copy she would mail her one as soon as possible. The moment she put her cell down and began typing again, the desk phone rang. Rory picked it up with her left hand, still busily typing the end of her sentence with her right.

"Gilmore," she said in greeting, and nearly dropped the handset when she heard the reply.

"Hi, Rory. It's Jess."

"Jess, hi. Hello. Um, hi."

Rory winced when she realised how truly inarticulate and ridiculous she had just sounded, and to a fellow writer of all people! Unfortunately, with Jess' call coming so quickly after her thinking day-dreamy thoughts about him, it was almost impossible to think clearly right now. Rory blamed her mother, ever more so when her cell buzzed on the desk signalling Lorelai had sent her a text.

'_I totally want to read about dreamy author guy! Please send a copy ASAP xx'_

"Rory? You still there?" checked Jess.

She shook her head and focused.

"I'm here, yeah," she told him. "Um, it's nice to hear from you. Did you see the article?"

"I did, that's actually why I called... well, one reason. Thanks for the great write up."

"Oh, you're welcome. It's not like I said anything that wasn't true, I mean, you are a great writer, and I really love your books. It was all way more factual than anything else."

She was rambling and she knew it. Rory hated when that happened, it was so embarrassing, especially around guys she liked. Not that she liked Jess, not that way. She just liked him because he was one of her favourite authors, and because he was a nice guy that bought her coffee, and because he was sweet and funny and kind of hot...

"Oh God," she muttered to herself when she realised where her thoughts had wandered too.

"Is this a bad time?" asked Jess, not knowing what the problem was.

Rory bit her lip and tried to act like a human being, which right now didn't seem to be coming easy. Whatever Jess had called her for, he did not deserve her being a complete spazz in his ear.

"Oh, no. It's a good time, or as good as any time can be in this place," she told him. "It's always pretty busy."

She hoped that sounded like a reasonable excuse for her odd behaviour, that she was distracted by work and people all around her, making demands, rather than by her own runaway imagination. "Y'know, what I could use right now? A coffee from that place we met at for our interview," she smiled "It was so good."

"Y'know I go there a lot, mostly afternoons. The coffee, the atmosphere... It's good for me when I'm trying to get my ideas straight for the next chapter or whatever."

Rory smiled just imagining Jess sat there in the cafe, maybe in a quiet corner booth away from prying eyes. She saw him in her mind's eye making notes the old fashioned way with pencil and paper, coffee to the right, cigarette in his left hand, all thoughtful and beautiful. She caught herself drifting again and shook her head clear of the haze.

"Sounds great," she smiled. "Well, maybe I'll see you there sometime soon."

It was meant to be a throwaway comment, but honestly, Rory kind of liked the idea of running into Jess again, and the cafe would be the perfect place.

"Yeah, that'd be cool," he told her, and Rory's smile only grew.

Maybe this was why Jess had called, why he had told her he was in that cafe in the afternoons and all. Perhaps he was just looking for a chance to see her again. Rory opened her mouth to say something, anything that might help her ascertain if she was being foolish or if Jess really might have some real interest in her, when suddenly her boss was right there by her desk, looking stern as anything.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jess, I really have to go," she said quickly. "But thank you for calling."

"No problem," he told her.

"I'll see you soon" she said quickly, and was almost certain she heard him reply 'I hope so' before she hung up, but Rory knew she could easily have imagined that.

The editor had plenty to say, reminding Rory she was only as good as her next piece, and not to get too hung up on one good interview. She nodded along, accepted the details of her latest assignment, and yet in the back of her mind, she couldn't get Jess' call out of her head. He was just so nice and smart and everything, and it wasn't as if she _couldn't_ date him, but it'd be crazy to think he would want to be with her, or that she would even see him again. It was highly unlikely to happen.

_To Be Continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Lookit at all the lovely reviews! You reader peops, you make me so happy! :D Okay, so how about a coffee date?**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 4

"I'm a crazy person," Jess muttered to himself as he looked up at the cafe door for the twelfth time this afternoon.

It was the third day in a row that he had come here and spent hours waiting to see if Rory showed. The first time, he told himself he was coming because that's just what he did sometimes. Even Tyler believed him then. The second day earned him a strange look from his friend the owner, because it wasn't often he did that, not one day after another. By this third occasion, Tyler was wearing a sly smirk the moment Jess approached the counter.

"And this sudden need to drink my coffee every day has nothing to do with the hot reporter chick?" he asked, one pierced eyebrow raised.

"Pour the coffee, Tyler," said Jess, trying not to smile himself.

He really was being kind of obvious, and a real fool for looking up at the door every single time it opened. Rory could show up, it was a possibility, but for some reason Jess felt as if he was whipped by this woman before they ever even went out for the first time.

This wasn't a date, Jess hadn't been stood up, because there was every chance Rory didn't even understand he was trying to ask her out. He could've made it clearer. Of all people, Jess knew how to use his words, but that was mostly in writing. The verbal thing, it sort of came and went with him, and he hated that about himself. He kept on replaying the conversation in his head, everything he and Rory said on the phone. She seemed eager to come back here, if only for the coffee, but so far nothing, no sign of her

Jess was just about ready to pack up his stuff and go when the door opened one more time. He didn't even turn around this time, sure that he had been a fool to ever think there was a reason to be watching out for a woman who was never going to show up.

"Oh, you're leaving?"

Jess turned around so fast at the sound of her voice, he knocked a box of paper napkins clean off the table at Rory's feet. She jumped when it happened, and then oddly looked embarrassed. If anyone should feel dumb about making a fool of himself, it was Jess, and did he ever feel stupid.

"Hi," he said awkwardly, stooping to pick up the napkins.

"Hi," replied Rory with a pointless but cute little wave.

"Hi," said Tyler as he passed by them to serve other patrons.

"Hi," replied Rory one more time, before meeting Jess' eyes and laughing. "Okay. Um, how stupid is this?" she asked, hugging herself. "I finally come here and you're leaving."

"I'm not," he told her, an absolute lie and they both knew it. "I mean, I was but now I'm not," he confirmed, catching Tyler on his way back to the counter. "Two coffees please," he said with a look.

"Comin' right up," his friend grinned more than was absolutely necessary, and Jess knew why.

Rory looked between the two of them and then carefully slid into the opposite side of the booth. Jess continued to move things around the table, putting the napkins back, shifting his laptop out of the way, wishing he could smoke in this place because something really needed to calm his damn stupid nerves. The moment he stopped messing around with stuff on the table and faced the bright blue eyes of one Rory Gilmore, he didn't really feel any better. She was here, that had to mean something, and yet she could just as easy have come in for the coffee as for him.

"So..." said Rory, clearly not knowing where to go from there.

"So," Jess echoed. "Er, things seemed pretty crazy at the paper when I called you the other day."

"It's pretty crazy most of the time," she admitted. "I love it though, always busy, always moving, things happening all the time. I mean, this isn't exactly where I want my career to stay. Journalism was always the dream, but the paper is just a stepping stone," she explained.

"So the big plan is what? Break into TV?" asked Jess curiously. "Be the next Paula Zahn?"

"Christianne Amanpour, actually," she corrected him with a smile.

"Wow, you wanna be an overseas correspondent?"

"That's the plan, or it always was. I know I don't seem like the type to be in war zones with bombs going off in the background and everything, but I think I can do it."

"I'm sure you can," Jess told her with a nod.

It was weird, because honestly, he didn't know Rory well enough yet to make that kind of judgement, but for some reason when she said something he believed her, and this was no different. She had an honest kind of face, and though she was sweet and prone to blushing, she had a strange kind of confidence inside of her too. If she had a plan, Jess was sure she would make it happen. That kind of passion didn't exist in just anybody, but it was there in Rory Gilmore, and it only made Jess like her all the more.

* * *

Rory had felt a little weird when she first got to the cafe today. She hovered on the doorstep for at least five minutes, trying to decide if it was a good idea to go in. There was no guarantee that Jess would be in there, and besides which, Rory had been telling herself the whole way over here that she wasn't coming to see him anyway, she just needed the really good coffee. Though nothing could ever compare to Luke's coffee at the diner back home, this place came a close second, and Rory needed her java fix. Of course, if that were true, if she were there purely for the beverages, she wouldn't have felt as disappointed as she did when she spotted Jess and realised he appeared to be leaving.

Thankfully he either wasn't on his way out or he changed his mind when he saw Rory had arrived. It was awkward at first, sitting there together with nothing specific to say. The interview had been so easy, because there was a plan. Rory had questions to ask, a structure to their conversation. Sure, it had veered off at so many different tangents she lost track, but somehow she at least felt like she knew what she was doing. Today was different, at least at first.

Once they got their coffee and Jess asked her about work, Rory felt better, because that was a topic she could ramble on. They went from her career ambitions to his own, via tales from their pasts, friends they'd known, family to a lesser extent. After hours that seemed to pass in a flash, Rory noticed the time and winced.

"Do you have to be somewhere?" asked Jess, following her gaze to the clock.

"Yeah, my bed," she said, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks just from the fact she mentioned her sleeping arrangements in front of this guy. "It's just I have an early start again tomorrow and I still have to get back home and finish off some paperwork before then..."

She rummaged in her purse for cash to pay for her coffees and the Danish she had eaten somewhere along the line. Rory had to go, she knew she did, but honestly she'd rather stay. Talking with Jess was so oddly familiar, like she had known him forever, even though this was only the second time they had ever met. A part of her wanted to be bold and ask if they could do this again, but somehow she couldn't do it. In spite of that, when she heard Jess ask her that very question, she didn't know how to reply.

"I mean, we could meet here again, or someplace else. I'd love to take you to dinner, buy you some real food," he said, smiling as she looked up at him then.

He was such a great guy, and Rory would love to just say yes, but taking chances with men, it wasn't her strong point. Two serious boyfriends in her whole life, and very little in the way of casual dating, Rory was no expert when it came to guys, and it made her nervous to think about dating again.

"I'm sorry," he apologised immediately she looked pained. "I thought... You're dating someone?" he guessed.

Rory shook her head, even though she knew that would only serve to further confuse Jess, which wasn't fair.

"No," she confirmed. "I mean, I was. It was a long time ago, that's kind of the issue," she smiled slightly. "It's been a while."

She wasn't sure what to make of the sighing sound that came out of him then, unless it was relief. Rory wasn't married or engaged or even dating another guy, she was just nervous about jumping in when it had been so long since the last time. She doubted he could understand that, and yet he seemed pleased about it.

"For me too," he assured her, which came as a surprise to Rory. "I actually wasn't sure whether it was the best idea, asking you out, just because it's been so long since I did this, but we got along so well and... and I'd like to get to know you better," he tried to explain, seeming as if he didn't feel he was exactly doing a great job. "Why is this so much easier when I'm writing it down?" he asked, pushing his hair back off his face.

Rory almost laughed; "I don't know, but right there with you."

They were quite the pair. As eloquent as anyone ever could be when it came to the written word, even fine talking when it was about work or books or something, but ask them to say anything real, and apparently they both went to pieces. Rory couldn't help but think that was just one more thing that they had in common, and she liked that.

"So, you want to...?" Jess checked, since as yet she hadn't actually given an answer.

"Yes," said Rory quickly nodding, sure she had to say it now before she lost her nerve. "Let's do it. Go on a date, I mean, not... Oh God!"

She felt so dumb when she realised what she had potentially suggested. Her hands covered her face and Rory knew she was blushing. She laughed at herself, before he had a chance to.

"I got it," Jess confirmed, trying not to smile too much.

Rory looked up, pushing her hair away from her face as she made herself be brave.

"Thank you," she smiled.

Apparently, she had a date.

* * *

When Lorelai picked up the phone, the first words out of Rory's mouth were not a cheery greeting or similar, but her mother still smiled on hearing them.

"Jess Mariano asked me out."

"Hey, that's great!" she enthused. "Now, hold on a sec," she said then, rushing towards the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" asked Rory, confused by all the clattering and rustling she could suddenly here.

"Just getting prepared for the details, babe," her mother told her.

Lorelai scrambled to throw snacks into a bowl - no time to make popcorn, so pretzels would have to do - and then grabbed the half-drunk bottle of wine from the counter and poured out a glass. She rushed back to the other room, grabbing the box of tissues on the way and bodily threw herself into the couch, getting herself comfy amongst the lumps.

"Okay, all set, now give me the details," she told Rory, who laughed at the quirkiness that was her mom.

"Well, I went along to the cafe we met at before. I wasn't really sure if he'd be there, but he was. I think he was about to leave, but when I showed up he stayed to have coffee with me."

"Cute."

"Even cuter when he knocked the napkin holder off the table and felt all dumb about it," Rory giggled. "Anyway, we drank coffee - the best coffee, second only to Luke's I might add - and we talked. I couldn't even tell you what we were talking about exactly, it was like we just fell back into the same conversation as last time, and it went on and on, and I lost track of time. It was really, really nice."

"Sounds good, sweets, but get to the asking out already!" her mother urged.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting there!" insisted Rory. "So, coffee is all gone, it's getting late, and suddenly he asks me, right out of the blue, if I want to get dinner sometime."

"And you said?" Lorelai prompted immediately.

"I was a little thrown to be honest. I mean, I know he seemed to suggest he wanted to get coffee and we did that and it was fun, but I wasn't really sure if we were going to get to the whole actual date thing, but then he asked so... well, I kinda flailed."

"You flailed?" her mother echoed. "As in full-on Kermit the Frog arm waving, or just the usual Rory 'I forgot how to use my words' thing?"

"The usual me thing," Rory sighed. "It's just been so long since I dated, but apparently it's been a while for Jess too, so that helped. Next thing you know I'm agreeing to dinner."

"Well, that's great, hon," Lorelai smiled, and Rory could picture the expression clearly even if she couldn't physically see it. "It is good, right? I mean, we like Jess."

"We do like Jess, a lot," Rory confirmed. "I just... I hope he still likes me after this date. I don't know what I'm going to wear or what we'll talk about, and then there's what happens if he tries to kiss me..."

"Hey, babe, slow down!" her mother urged her. "One step at a time. You'll be fine. It's you Rory, how could any guy not love you?"

Rory smiled at her mother's biased opinion and the fact she was already talking in terms of love. That was crazy when they hadn't even been on the first date yet. Still, she did like Jess a lot and he seemed to like her too. Maybe it would be just a one date thing, maybe they could be friends, or potentially more could happen. It was impossible to tell at this early stage, but that didn't stop Rory and Lorelai musing on all the possibilities for over an hour, in spite of the fact they really should've been sleeping!

* * *

When Matt picked up the phone, the first words out of Jess' mouth were not a cheery greeting or similar, but his friend still smiled on hearing them.

"I asked Rory Gilmore out."

"Dude, that's the spirit!" he congratulated him, before yelling to Chris that 'Jess finally got some balls and asked the reporter chick to dinner', which was met with an actual cheer.

"You guys need lives of your own, then maybe you wouldn't get so excited about mine," he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that, and to warn you that if this ends badly, I'm going to kill both of you for talking me into it."

"How can you go wrong, man?" asked Matt then. "It's you and a woman who loves novels, especially yours."

Jess sighed and shook his head, though he was smiling all the same.

"Yeah, because that's enough to base a relationship on."

He wasn't sure why he was even thinking in those terms, like this was a long term thing with Rory. They hadn't even had their first date yet, and it could all go horribly wrong. Still, that didn't stop Jess thinking this could be something good, even if he wasn't about to admit it to anyone else.

"Okay, now we've got my love life out of the way, I had a real reason for calling," he said then, going on to discuss business before Matt had a chance to steer him back to Rory.

That didn't mean she wasn't still there in Jess' head or that he didn't smile every time he thought about their time together today and their upcoming date. Maybe that made him a fool or just a romantic, which was something Jess never thought he'd be, but he kind of liked it, and he couldn't change it even if he wanted to.

_To Be Continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you sooo much for all the wonderful feedback. You guys are great! :) Now, how 'bout a grown up Literati first date, yes?**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 5

"Babe, any of those outfits would be perfect. You know this," said Lorelai into the phone as she perused the email attachments from her daughter one more time. "You started giving me fashion advice when you were sixteen years old. I really don't think the tables need to start turning back now."

"I know, I know," Rory sighed heavily as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's crazy, I mean, I know how to dress myself. I do it every day, for the office, for meetings and interviews, for evening events and dinners, but this is a date. It's a date with a new guy and I haven't had one of those in a really long time," she rambled. "I want it to go well, I want to... I want him to be impressed."

"Rory, honey, he's already impressed," her mother reminded her. "He asked you out for coffee, and after that he asked you out on this real date that you're telling me about and stressing over like a crazy person," said Lorelai with a smile. "If Jess isn't already liking both what he sees and what he knows about you, you wouldn't even have gotten this far, right?"

Of course Rory knew she was right and said as much in the very next breath. Jess didn't like her for how she dressed alone, that would be a ridiculous thought. Sure some people dated purely based on looks, and they did play a serious part in attraction. Jess was this great mix of hot and cute and totally handsome, which was very hard to ignore, but it wasn't simply that drawing Rory in. She loved how passionately he talked about his writing and about books in general. He knew so much about literature, about classic movies and good music. So much for telling her he didn't much like to talk and open up, he and Rory had two pretty deep and very long conversations since they met. Jess still wasn't exactly an open book, but Rory felt oddly comfortable around him when they were just talking about anything and everything. At the same time, he made her a strange kind of uncomfortable too, when he stared at her with those intense dark eyes of his. Rory shivered now just thinking about it. It was no bad feeling, that was for sure.

"Rory? You still there, sweets?" asked Lorelai, snapping her from her daze.

"Sorry, Mom," she apologised. "Er, oh God, I should really get dressed!"

"Unless your fashion choice for the evening is nothing but your underwear," Lorelai laughed. "I'm not saying the guy wouldn't love it, but New York is a chilly place after dark."

"Mom!" Rory admonished, the colour rising in her cheeks, though she was laughing all the same. "I have to go, but I will call again tomorrow."

"With all the gory details!" Lorelai prompted, a statement rather than a question.

"I promise," her daughter confirmed before they hung up.

Rory got up from the bed and grabbed up the dress she had decided was to be the one. She wouldn't change her mind again, she didn't have time, and it wouldn't do any good anyway. The little black dress was a classic, as her mother had reminded her on the phone, and so that was what she would go with. The fact she had three of them to choose from made matters more complicated, but that's why Lorelai's help had really been necessary in the fist place.

In front of the bathroom mirror, Rory clipped her hair up. She promptly frowned and let it down again, brushing it out around her shoulders. Rory had the clips in her hands again a second later, before her eyes strayed to her watch.

"Quick decisions!" she reminded herself. "Running out of time..."

Rushing back into the bedroom, Rory grabbed some shoes and pulled them on, fastening them fast. She stood up on the low heels and adjusted to the change. She wore flats a lot for work, and always had trouble in anything too high anyway. These were comfortable and gave her walk a little something that her mother always said was no bad thing for a woman on a date.

Back to the mirror, and Rory gave her face a final check. She wasn't much for a face full of make-up, but just a little something so she didn't look like a kid or a ghost was definitely required.

"Well, I think this is as good as it gets," she told her reflection and then frowned. "Confidence. I'm a good looking woman. I'm Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. He asked me out because he likes me. Jess Mariano likes me," she smiled then, even as she felt stupid both for talking to herself and feeling so girlish and strange just because a guy liked her.

Rory wondered if that ever went away, if it was ever really supposed to. At sixteen, she expected to get tongue-tied and bashful when a guy liked her, but she was twenty three now, shouldn't she be different? The buzzer sounding told her she didn't have to contemplate anymore. Jess was here; it was date time!

* * *

Jess stood on the doorstep to the building, feeling ridiculously unsure of himself. Honestly, he half expected to get no answer when he buzzed Rory's door, or to have her answer but make some excuse not to go out with him tonight. It was crazy. It wasn't as if he bullied her into agreeing to dinner. She was a grown woman with enough about her to say no if she really didn't want to see him again. Jess knew he ought to have a little confidence. He usually did when it came to women, at least he used to. These days he supposed he was just out of practice, and then there was the fact that Rory was very different to any other woman he ever met.

Picking up girls was easy enough, if you just wanted someone to talk to, to flirt with, even to keep your bed warm for the night. Jess had his share of dates and all, but serious relationships were new territory. Somehow he doubted that there was going to be anything with him and Rory that wasn't serious. She didn't seem like the type to believe in one night stands and the like, and Jess wouldn't cheapen her by thinking anything else. She was special, for lack of a better descriptor, and that one sure did suit her well. Of course, she hadn't answered the buzzing at her door yet, and that might mean that as special as Rory was, she just wasn't as into Jess as he had hoped.

One more push of the button, and then he was going to call it a night. Jess waited, checked his watch in case he was too early, but that wasn't it. He looked off down the street for no particular reason, internally fighting with himself over whether to stay or go so much that a Clash song started playing in his head. He turned back around to face the door just in time to see Rory there.

"Hey," he smiled, relief flooding through his body at the sight of her.

"Hi," she replied with a smile. "Er, I'm sorry about not buzzing you in," she apologised as she stepped out onto the street beside him. "My apartment is... I'm not always here all that often, always off somewhere getting a story, an interview, whatever, so it's a little... It's embarrassingly untidy," she admitted bashfully.

Jess smiled at that. To think he had been wondering whether he was getting stood up at the last minute, when all that was really happened was Rory was ashamed of the state of her apartment.

"Pretty sure it can't look any worse than my place," he shrugged. "But it's fine."

Rory smiled, hugging herself against the cold as she looked around in the street.

"You don't have a cab?" she checked.

She hadn't expected him to bring a car. People who knew New York knew better than to try to drive around the city, especially at this time when so many folks were on the move, going out to dinner or getting home late from work, but she had assumed there would be transportation.

"Er, the restaurant is only two blocks," he said, gesturing down the street. "I thought we could walk but... Yeah, now I'm remembering that women don't dress for walking when they have a dinner date," he said, literally face-palming as he checked out Rory's shoes.

"Walking is fine" she assured him. "I just would've worn a real coat if I'd known," she said, rubbing her arms that were covered only by a very light layer of a bolero type jacket. "I guess I could go back up..." she suggested, but Jess' hand caught her fingers the moment she turned away and pulled her back.

"You look beautiful," he told her, his intense eyes sticking her to the spot.

Rory swallowed hard.

"Thank you" she forced out. "You look great too," she assured him, eyes running quickly over his form and then away.

She almost completely missed him removing his jacket until he reached out to wrap it around her shoulders. It was warm already from his own body heat and smelled vaguely of a strange cigarettes and soap combo. Odd as it seemed, Rory really liked that.

"Thanks, but you're going to freeze," she told Jess awkwardly.

"I was born and raised in this city," he assured her. "I don't feel the cold anymore. Besides, it's only two blocks, and if I walk fast you can keep up, right?" he checked, holing out his hand to her.

"Sure," she nodded once, accepting what almost felt like a challenge as she put her hand in his own. "Let's go."

* * *

By the time they got to the restaurant, Jess was freezing and determined not to show it. For all their attempts at a brisk walk, just about everybody on the sidewalk seemed to want to get in their way tonight. Besides, Rory's idea of walking fast was definitely nothing like as quick as Jess' own pace and he had to slow down for her, not least because she had a hold of his hand. That part certainly wasn't anything to complain about, as far as Jess was concerned, but the freezing part was not one of his better ideas.

Just as soon as they were inside the door of the restaurant, Rory relinquished Jess' jacket to him and he pulled it on with thanks. Whether or not she knew he was cold or not, he couldn't tell, and Jess wasn't about to ask and appear weak. That wasn't what a guy did, especially not on a first date. He talked to the hostess about their reservation and they were led to a table. Jess pulled out Rory's chair for her like a gentleman and she thanked him as he joined her.

"This place is beautiful," she said, eyes all around the quaint little place on the corner. "How is it you know about all these great places to eat and get coffee and I don't?" she asked.

"Like I said, born and raised in the city," Jess shrugged easily. "Besides, I'm not much for chain places, restaurants with food in the title. Gardens, plantations, you know? I like the little independent spots, they have more character, and usually friendlier staff since they can't afford to alienate the customers at all."

"You are very smart, Mr Mariano," she smiled sweetly.

"Well, thank you, Miss Gilmore," he replied in kind, as they picked up their menus to choose their food.

Jess peeked at Rory over the top of the menu and couldn't get the grin off his face. She looked amazing tonight, even more beautiful than he remembered her in the coffee shop a few days ago, if that were possible. He already knew they had plenty to talk about, or at least they should have based on the last two times they met up. Maybe tonight was going to go better than Jess expected when he was stood in front of the mirror at his apartment, arguing with himself over whether he should wear a tie or not (he decided against), if the restaurant he had picked was going to be okay, if he was a fool for even trying to start anything like a relationship with Rory.

"What?" she asked when she caught him staring, and Jess hadn't even known he was doing it.

"Nothing," he smiled. "I was just... I'm still trying to figure out how someone as smart as you thinks The Fountainhead is a classic," he smirked.

"Oh no, you are not still on that!" she rolled her eyes, letting the menu drop onto the table. "This from the guy who thinks Ernest Hemingway is someone to admire?"

Whatever slight tension or awkwardness that might have existed when this date began disappeared in a moment when they fell into a conversation they had already had twice already and still it felt exciting and fun to do battle in banter and literary opinions. Tonight was going to be a good night, they both felt it now.

* * *

"Oh, come on! I'm not saying I can't appreciate the beatniks and what they were trying to achieve," said Rory, waving her hands in gestures that had become significantly more over the top since she got onto her third glass of wine. "Those guys showed me a world I wouldn't otherwise have known, and I appreciate that, but their writing was a little self-indulgent. Kerouac could have used a good editor."

"Seriously?" asked Jess, eyes wide at the suggestion. "You're cracked!" he told her, though there was laughter in his voice that proved he meant no real harm.

Rory laughed too, taking a drink from her glass.

"I'm just saying, it's really easy for guys to fall at the feet of guys like Bukowski, but how many do you know that have read Jane Austen? Now she is a classic author."

"Hey, I've read Jane Austen," Jess assured her, pointing a finger across the table at her.

"Really?" she asked, evidently surprised.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And I think she would've liked Bukowski!"

Rory laughed at that, but she couldn't say he was wrong. Jess had an opinion on everything, and though they didn't always entirely agree, it was so cool that he could make a real argument, rather than just shouting her down. Rory love the banter of their conversations, the back and forth volleying of thoughts and ideas. She wondered if she could ever possibly get bored of it, if they could ever really run out of topics to debate. Somehow she doubted it.

"Can I get you both a coffee?" asked the waitress as she came by.

Jess looked up fast. He had almost forgotten he and Rory were even in a restaurant. It was so easy to get lost in their conversation, in her infectious laughter and dancing eyes. Snapping himself out of the Rory-induced daze he had found himself in, he gave his attention to the waitress a moment.

"Yes, coffee for me please," he said, glancing back at Rory.

"Me too, thanks," she confirmed, allowing the server to take her now empty wine glass away.

She had drunk a little too much, Rory was highly aware of that. Usually she had one glass with a meal like this, sometimes she didn't even have that much. Tonight she had just been so caught up in talking with Jess, she had hardly thought about the fact her glass was getting refilled. Now that she thought on it, she must have emptied that glass at least three times. Hopefully a coffee would even her out a little.

"So, this is fun," she said with a smile. "I mean for me at least, it's fun. I can't speak for you, because you might actually be sitting there thinking 'wow, what a weird person, why'd I ever ask her to dinner?'" she laughed lightly, ducking her face behind her hair when she realised what a fool she was making of herself.

Jess bit his lip and tried to laugh in case she took it the wrong way. He didn't find her funny in a bad way, just amusingly cute when she got embarrassed, that was all.

"This is fun," he told her definitely. "You're... It's weird, but you're really easy to talk to. The verbal thing, it comes and goes with me, so that's kind of a big deal."

Rory nodded in understanding. She could talk for her country if she had a mind to, rambling and rattling on in the same way her mother often did. The Gilmore girls were known for talking fast and taking no prisoners with their quick wit and pop culture references. That didn't mean Rory felt confident in talking to other people, especially those she didn't know so well. Jess was different. After the interview that first day, she just felt like she had known him for years. Now after their coffee date and this dinner, she was sure she must have known him her whole life, even though it wasn't true. Not that it mattered. Tonight was going very well indeed and right in this moment that was all that mattered to Rory.

* * *

The cab home was more a necessity than anything else. Jess' place was way too far from the restaurant for a walk and he wasn't about to take his date on the subway. Two blocks still wasn't far for walking, but he remembered freezing on the way here and the weather only got colder as the night wore on. Besides, three drinks in and wearing heels, Rory seemed just a little bit wobbly.

Outside the restaurant, Jess hailed them a taxi and they rode down the street to Rory's place in a matter of barely a few minutes. Jess told the cab driver he'd be right back and walked his date to the door like a gentleman. Rory shivered a little as the cold wind blew through her clothes.

"I had a great time, Jess," she told him, pushing her hair out of her face. "Thank you for tonight."

"You're welcome, Rory," he promised her, frowning a little as her teeth chattered. "You should get inside before you freeze," he told her then, hands reaching out to her without him even thinking about it, rubbing her upper arms to keep her warm.

Rory felt as if she were shivering all the more at the contact, but for reasons that were decidedly not to do with the cold. She looked up through her lashes and met Jess' eyes. There was that look again, that intense, smouldering gaze that did things to her insides that she couldn't explain but didn't want to miss a second of.

"I should go," she told herself as much as him, and yet neither of them moved.

It was stupid to just stand here but too painful to walk away. In the end, neither Rory nor Jess was sure who moved first but suddenly their lips crashed together in a searing kiss. He pulled her closer to him and her arms went up around his neck, keeping him within reach as the kiss went on and on.

Just as suddenly as the moment began it ended with Rory pulling back just a little. Her forehead rested against Jess' still and both her breath and his came in gasps.

"Wow," she said shakily. "That was... That wasn't the plan."

"There was a plan?" asked Jess, feeling almost as blown away by what had just happened as Rory seemed.

"Well, not really a plan exactly but..." she stopped speaking when she met his eyes and saw a heat of passion in them that took her breath away even more than the kiss had managed. "Jess, I'm not..." she shook her head slightly, the moment she found her voice. "On a first date, I can't just..."

Jess nodded that he understood well enough and then leant in to drop one last sweet kiss on her lips. He couldn't deny that if she invited him up to her apartment to continue what had scarcely begun out here in the street, he would have gone willingly, but Jess knew before she even said it that Rory Gilmore wasn't that kind of woman. If it were possible, he liked her all the more for not being.

"Goodnight, Rory," he told her softly. "I'll call you."

"Goodnight, Jess," she replied in kind, a smile on her lips as they slipped out of each other's embrace.

She backed up to the door, almost tripping up as she tried to get inside without turning away until Jess was inside the cab and leaving. He waved to her as the car pulled away and Rory waved back. The moment he was out of sight she rushed to the elevator and dived inside, pressing the button for her floor. Alone in the tiny space, she fell back against the wall and exhaled a long breath, a grin breaking out all over her face. For a simple dinner date, it really had been an amazing night.

_To Be Continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So we liked the first date, yes? Seems that way from all the wonderful reviews - thank you, peops :) Now, after a big date, Rory needs to talk to her mother...**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 6

"So then we got a cab back to my place, and we're standing on the sidewalk saying goodnight..." Rory explained to her mother.

She felt ridiculously girly and highly embarrassed, even though Lorelai was far away on the other end of the phone and couldn't see her. It had been so long since she had a first date with anyone, and Jess seemed fully capable of reducing her to some teenaged version of herself with just a look. It was so strange, and yet Rory kind of loved it anyway.

"And?" Lorelai prompted when her daughter didn't continue immediately. "Was there kissing?" she giggled, sounding younger than even Rory was right now.

"There may have been a kiss," she agreed, laughing herself then. "Oh, Mom, it was just... I can't even describe it. I mean, I know I'm usually so good with words, but this was beyond description."

"Wow, must've been a hell of a smooch, hon," said Lorelai. "Jess knows a thing or two, huh?"

"That's not what I meant!" Rory said, sounding scandalised. "Although, I'm not saying he doesn't," she clarified. "It was just this really intense moment, and he's standing across from me with those beautiful dark eyes, and his hands are on my arms, and I start thinking he's going to kiss me, or I'm going to kiss him, then it just happened," she sighed. "I know its a real cliché, but I swear I had the fireworks going off in my head, hot lava in the veins, the whole perfect movie kiss moment."

"Sounds like a good first date to me, babe," said Lorelai approvingly. "And I'm not just talking about the goodnight kiss. From what you said, Jess is a real gentleman, good literary knowledge, which is a necessity for a Rory Gilmore suitor, and a hottie to boot."

"He is that," Rory admitted as she shifted to get more comfortable on the couch. "Of course when he sees my apartment he's going to realise I'm a slob and never speak to me again..." she said regretfully.

Rory was always so organised before. She still was now when it came to having her work in order and her clothes carefully placed in their rightful homes. The rest of the apartment kind of suffered from her absence, and her lack of concentration on things like cleaning up after herself. At home, her mom always picked up the slack, and in her dorm at Yale she had to be somewhat tidy because the space was so small, and Paris was so crazy. Now she had her own place, well, it had started out fine, but work was sometimes all consuming and they liked to send her all over the place for interviews, meetings, and research. Home was a place to sleep, take a shower and change clothes, and do any work she hadn't got done elsewhere. She rarely ate at home unless it was delivery and things like cleaning up didn't always fit into her schedule. Rory's place wasn't exactly dirty, but it sure as hell wasn't tidy.

"Babe, he's a twenty-something year old guy," said Lorelai then. "He's not going to care if your apartment is a little messy," she promised. "So, he didn't get as far as that last night then, huh?"

"Mom!" Rory gasped. "It was our first date!"

"Rory, you're twenty three, and not exactly qualified for a white wedding at this point," her mother reminded her. "It's the twenty first century and we are modern women, is it so shocking for me to think you might have got a little busy with a guy you like this much?"

"Yes," her daughter argued vehemently. "I couldn't just... With a guy I barely know? After one date? I couldn't."

"Okay, calm down, please," Lorelai urged her. "I'm not saying I'm not happy to hear you're not that kind of girl, hon," she assured Rory. "I was just curious is all. Of course, just because your good morals and all stopped you from going all the way, doesn't mean the thought didn't cross your mind..."

She didn't directly ask for a confession, and Rory knew she didn't have to tell her mom anything if she didn't want to. Still, Lorelai was her best friend, perhaps even more than she was her mother. It didn't hurt to admit the truth.

"The thought occurred," she said softly, her cheeks on fire even though she was quite alone. "Pretty sure it occurred on both sides, but... but I'm also fairly certain he understood why I didn't feel comfortable."

"I'm sure he did, sweets," Lorelai agreed with a grin she hoped wasn't too obvious to her daughter.

She meant what she said before. It was a good thing that Rory wasn't the type to leap into bed with a guy after one date, but she would hardly be human not to have considered it given the way she talked about Jess. Honestly, Lorelai was just pleased to hear her baby girl so happy and excited about a man. It had been a long time, and the last thing Lorelai wanted was for Rory to swear off men entirely just because her other two serious relationships hadn't worked out. Bad break ups could really screw up a person, and Rory had her father issues to contend with too. Men hadn't always been the greatest in her young life. It was great to know she might've met a winner this time.

"So, is there a second date lined up?" she asked then.

"Not yet," Rory admitted. "But Jess did say he'd call me so, have to wait and see what happens, I guess."

She was smiling just thinking about that moment when they parted last night. There was no real doubt in her mind that Jess would call. They had such a great time on their first date. Though perfect might be a step too far in describing it, it hadn't been far off. Dinner was good, conversation was easy and fun, and that goodnight kiss was something else. It was going to be a while before thinking of it didn't cause a fluttering of her heart and a shiver through her body. Rory didn't mind that at all.

* * *

Jess came back into the apartment with a to go cup in one hand and a cigarette dangling from his lips. He had gone to take a walk when the writing failed to happen this morning. He had a reasonable night's sleep after his date with Rory, but as so often had happened since the day he met her, his dreams were full of her image. After the kiss they shared at the end of the night, he only had more basis for the subconscious thoughts that liked to fill his brain at night. Rory may not have invited him up to her apartment, but his dirty mind managed to fill in a few blanks while he slept. Jess wasn't altogether proud of himself for that, but there was very little he could do about it.

Honestly, he was glad she wasn't that easy. It wouldn't suit Rory to be that kind of person from all that he already knew about her. Not that he saw her as a challenge to be conquered, that wouldn't be fair either. She wasn't anything he could really describe well, and given that he was an author well-known for his vocabulary skills, Jess thought that made Rory all the more special.

She had inspired him to start his third novel much earlier than planned, and in thinking of her, he had written the first five chapters easily. The morning after their first actual date, and Jess had hit a wall. It was hard to think straight after the dreams he'd had about Rory. Everything was hard after that, which was how he ended up taking a long and mostly cold shower, and then taking a walk to get some fresh air into his body and more varied thoughts into his head.

New York was alive with people and noise, enough to take even the most focused mind off topic. Still, everything seemed to remind Jess of Rory today. He was such a sap and told himself as much as his feet took him to the subway and the train brought him to the coffee shop where they first met. Tyler had asked if Jess was there looking for Rory, which he denied, though a part of him did wonder if subconsciously that was what he had been hoping for.

Jess headed for home with a coffee to go, stopping off in Washington Square park to both read and people watch for a while. Now, back in the apartment, he felt ready to bust out chapter six. He shed his coat, sat down at his desk and fired up the laptop. Cracking his knuckles and his neck, he went back to skim over some of what he had so far, double checked the outline he had scribbled on multiple pieces of paper, and then started to type. He was all of two lines in when his phone rang. Jess continued typing with his right hand as his left retrieved the phone and accepted the call without him ever looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Jess, my man! How'd the date go?"

Jess rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Chris, when did you turn into a twelve year old girl at a slumber party?" he asked his friend.

"When my own dating life became non-existent," he replied easily. "Things have been too quiet around here, buddy, so I'm living vicariously through you. Now, tell me how the dinner date with the beautiful Miss Gilmore went."

Jess gave up on his writing, hit save just to be on the safe side and pulled the lid of the computer closed.

"What do you wanna know?" he asked Chris, leaning back in the desk chair. "Because I'm not exactly the kiss and tell type."

"Well, that tells me she kisses on the first date," his friend grinned, Jess couldn't see him but he knew he was grinning.

"Seriously, Chris?" he said, rolling his eyes. "We went to dinner, we talked, I took her home, kissed her goodnight, and then I left. Case closed," he explained succinctly.

"Oh come on, man. Give me a little more than that!"

"There's nothing else to give!" Jess replied in much the same tone, trying not to laugh at how pathetic his friend had become. "Are you really this desperate for action that you want the gory details of my practically non-existent dating life?"

"Are there any gory details?" he asked, proving he really was as desperate as he seemed.

Jess shook his head.

"Not really," he confirmed. "Not that I would tell you if there was. One of us at least has to keep up the pretence that we're gentlemen here."

Chris laughed at that, mostly because it was as true as it was amusing. Of course, he did continue to try and pump Jess for information, and his friend gave as little as possible by way of details. Some guys would make fun of their buddy for not 'sealing the deal' on the first night, but at least Jess knew Chris wasn't that way. Not that there was anything wrong with a one night stand, provided both parties understood that's all it was. When you were serious about a woman, then it didn't really matter how long it took to get that far. Jess had known from the moment he met Rory that anything that happened with them was going to be damn serious. He had never felt like this about a woman before, not ever. That ought to terrify him, but honestly, he had never felt better.

"So, I said I'd call her," he confirmed to Chris. "I figured I'd give it a couple of days or something. I mean, the next day is kind of desperate, right?"

"Are you kidding me?" his friend asked incredulously. "Chicks love that. Y'know, the whole 'I just couldn't wait any longer to hear your voice' thing? That's guaranteed to get a positive response. Best trick in the book."

"I'm not exactly looking to trick her into anything, Chris," Jess sighed. "But I guess it's dumb not to call her sooner," he considered.

Honestly, he didn't want to wait, Jess just thought he should. Maybe it would be better to call Rory today and let her know he was serious about her. There was such a thing as being too eager, almost coming off desperate, but a little dedication to the cause could come off as romantic. The more Jess considered it, the more he really wanted Chris to just get off the phone already so he could call Rory.

* * *

It had been a long meeting that Rory could well have done without. She had plenty to do without the staff briefings that seemed to be growing in length every time they had one. Too many questions being asked that she herself found unnecessary and not enough people pulling their weight. Still, at least Rory had been praised for her latest work, even if she was entirely embarrassed to have such things said in front of all her colleagues. When she got out of said meeting she grabbed another cup of coffee and all but ran back to her desk. The deadlines didn't change just because a meeting got scheduled and she had more than enough to do today already. She had barely been sat down a minute when her cell vibrated on the desk. Flipping it open she saw she had received two voicemails during her meeting. It could be a lead on a story or worse a family emergency. There was also the chance it was Jess calling just as he said he would, though perhaps the morning after was a little too soon to think that were true. Rory shook her head, dialled the voicemail and held her phone to her ear using only her shoulder and chin, her fingers typing furiously on the keyboard.

"You have two new messages," the mechanical voice told her, going on to give the date and time the first of the messages had been left.

Rory frowned a little when she heard who had left that first voicemail.

_"Gilmore, it's Paris. You know I hate leaving voicemail but this won't wait. Deadlines notwithstanding, call me immediately you get this message. I'm not about to admit I'm out of my depth here but... Well, Doyle threw a curveball at me last night and it's going to take both our heads instead of my one to figure out. Please Rory, don't make me handle this alone."_

Her frown had only deepened as Rory reached the end of the message and heard the phone beep. Whatever was going on with Paris, it had to be pretty serious for her to leave a message like that, and even more so if she was actually admitting to needing help. Before Rory had time to think too much on what the issue might be, the message service voice gave her the details of voicemail number two and then the recording began to playback.

_"Rory, it's Jess. I, er... I almost hung up when it went to voicemail, hate these things, but, well, I guess you're in a meeting or on an important assignment or something. Anyway, I did say I'd call, so I'm calling. Er, I was thinking about maybe seeing that new movie 'Jumper'? The critics aren't keen but I kinda want to see if they do Steven Gould's work justice. Any thoughts? I'd love to take you if you wanna go, so give me a call back, if you want. Bye."_

The message ended and Rory couldn't get the silly grin off her face. She really hadn't expected Jess to call so soon, but she was very glad that he had. She was a little behind on her movie news, and she had never read the book, so whether or not she would like to see this movie, Rory had no idea. It was nothing she couldn't look up though, and if Jess wanted to take her, she was already pretty sure she wanted to go.

It was odd how bashful he sounded on the message. In person as well as in his writing, he could be so strong, so forceful in his opinions. It made Rory feel a little better knowing how nervous she clearly made Jess. He sure did have that effect on her sometimes.

Seconds away from pressing the button to reply to his message, Rory stopped and thought better of it. She really should call Paris back before she did anything else. Looking at her screen, she realised she hadn't typed anything since Jess' message started playing anyway and turned away from the computer. Her friend needed her attention, that was job one, then she had to finish what she was writing. Only after all of that could she indulge in thoughts of further dates with Jess, and the joy and panic combined that would doubtless come with calling him back. Rory was stickler for order and everything being done correctly, even if it was so very tempting to skip over friends in need and work also, just to be self-indulgent.

"Paris, then work, then Jess," she told herself out loud. "Priorities," she muttered as she saved what she had written so far with her right hand and dialled her friend's number with her left. "Paris, it's Rory," she said the moment she got an answer.

"Rory, thank God!" her friend gasped in her ear.

"Hey, what happened? You sounded pretty shaken up on your message."

"Shaken up doesn't even begin to cover it. That Doyle McMaster is a real piece of work, I'll tell you that!"

"Well, what did he do?" asked Rory, more worried now than ever before.

"The idiot only turned around and proposed to me last night, that's all!" said Paris crossly. "I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do with that?!"

Rory bit her lip, unsure whether to laugh or just scream in frustration. She sure as hell didn't know what to say for the best. Only Paris could interpret a marriage proposal as a horrible crisis!

_To Be Continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I kinda couldn't resist the Paris &amp; Doyle thing. You just know she would freak out over a proposal like that. Thanks for all the fab feedback, reader peops! Now, who's ready for some more Literati, and anothre revelation... ;)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see Chapter 1)**_

Chapter 7

Rory read the rest of her mother's email with a smile on her face. Lorelai told her what a great article she had written and how she had printed a copy to show Luke when he got home. The day of his return to the Hollow was today, and Rory was pleased. Lorelai missed her man when he went away, even though she did understand his need to spend alone time with April sometimes. April had spent Thanksgiving in Stars Hollow with both Luke and Lorelai, Christmas at home with her mom, and now that Winter break had rolled around it was the better part of a week away for Daddy, spending time with his daughter in her new home town.

Luke had taken to the father role so well, and Rory never doubted he would. He was more of a dad to her than her biological father, Chris, ever had been, that was for sure. Now Luke and Lorelai were back together and happy, after some serious issues that had been caused by April and Christopher himself. It made Rory feel much better about leaving town the way she had, knowing her two favourite people had each other to lean on.

It was Rory's hope that she would have time to respond properly to her mom's email before she left the office today, but it wasn't to be. It was already getting late and she needed to get home before long. Very quickly she typed her answer, promising there would be more to say later.

_So happy for you that Luke will be home soon. Tell him hello from me and that I'm looking forward to seeing him in just two weeks! Sorry I can't write more, in a hurry as usual, but you'll be happy to know that Jess called today and left me a voicemail. He wants to take me to a movie. If that weren't enough news, Doyle proposed to Paris last night and she doesn't know what answer to give! Will fill you in with more details as soon as I have them._

_Love you, Mom._

_Rory._

Quickly hitting send, Rory grabbed up her purse and coat, shut down the computer and rushed out the door. She was used to being in New York after dark, but she still didn't altogether like it. Subway trips felt safer in daylight hours and even cab drivers less severe when it wasn't dark beyond the windows. Getting home before the hour got too late was always a priority for a young woman alone in the big city who still wasn't one hundred percent comfortable away from her sleepy little home town yet.

Rory hurried home as usual and was grateful to get the apartment, shutting the door behind her and firmly locking it too. A yawn escaped as she faced her untidy little abode, the descriptors the most apt ever in the circumstances. Tossing her coat and purse into the chair, Rory went to the kitchen next. Her shoes kicked off in the corner, Rory put the leftovers of last night's take out into the microwave (the only kind of oven she had any expertise with) and stared down at the cell phone she held in her hand.

Now she had time to call Jess back and confirm a movie date. The problem was finding the words and not sounding like an idiot. Rory could write well enough, she would hardly be a journalist if she couldn't, but the talking didn't always come so easy. It was something she and Jess had in common, though his verbal skills seemed to vary greatly regardless of who he was talking to or what he was talking about, at least that was how it seemed when he explained it to Rory. For her, there were more specific circumstances that threw her off her game. At school and college, Rory had won debates, even given the speech at her high school grad. She was fine when she was scripted, or even when she was just giving her opinion on books, movies, music, things she knew inside out. It was the other stuff Rory struggled with, the serious stuff, the stuff with guys and dates. She had a habit of going to pieces, crumbling under the pressure of nerves, so afraid of making an idiot out of herself that it was exactly what she ended up doing. When it came to Jess, there had never been a guy before that could make Rory feel so out of her depth and yet so good all at once.

"Pull it together, Gilmore," she said to herself, knowing she was quoting Paris a little too well.

Not that Paris would have a right to judge Rory's nerves over a guy right now. To think that she was going to pieces in much the same way, but over something much more serious than a movie date. Doyle proposing had come out of the blue from what her friend had said, and yet Rory was a little amazed that Paris could be so shocked. The pair had been dating since Sophomore year in college. Three years of being there for each other, living together for the most part, willing to make sacrifices and all. They were for the long haul, Rory never doubted that, not least because she honestly couldn't imagine anybody else putting up with either of them, particularly Paris. Maybe that was unfair, but Rory also knew it was true.

"Mom's getting married, Paris is getting engaged, maybe," she considered aloud. "And me? Can't even get up the guts to accept a second date with the most amazing guy," she sighed, feeling ever more stupid.

The microwave pinged to let Rory know her food was done, and yet she would not be distracted. She quickly and carefully removed the congealed but hot Chinese from the oven and set it on the counter, then looked back at the phone.

"No food until you do this," she told herself firmly, walking through to the living room and dialling Jess back before she could change her mind again.

One ring, two, a third, and then finally he answered.

"Hey, Rory," he greeted her with a smile she was sure she could hear.

"Hi, Jess," she replied, also grinning.

He had to have put her number into his phone to know it was her calling. Not that she hadn't done the same with his number, but it still made her oddly giddy.

"Um, I got your message," she told him then, realising she really should keep speaking since she had called him. "About the movie."

"Oh, yeah? I'm glad you called back," he admitted.

Rory grinned all the wider and sat down on the couch.

"Me too. I mean, I don't know about this movie. I never read the book, but it might be cool."

"Well, you know Hollywood. Probably changed so much it'll be unrecognisable as the source material, but you gotta give 'em a chance, right?"

"Absolutely," Rory nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Um, I don't know when you had planned for going to see it?"

"I'm pretty flexible. Joys of working for yourself... well, kind of anyway," said Jess. "When's good for you?"

"The joy of working for the paper does not so much include flexible working," she sighed. "I probably couldn't agree to anything solid before Saturday."

"Saturday's cool," he agreed easily. "I could check what times it's showing and where, then text a time to pick you up? I promise to bring a cab this time."

Rory laughed lightly at the semi-joke.

"Sounds good, but maybe you could email me instead?" she suggested. "Sometimes I don't notice the cell buzzing when I'm busy but the email pops up right there on the screen when I'm working so..."

"Okay," Jess agreed. "I'm right in front of the computer so fire away."

Rory gave him her email address, careful to ensure she made clear all the correct dots and everything, because she wouldn't want him to mishear or mistype. Jess read back the address and they both smiled as she told him he had it correct. When they ended their call, with him promising to be in touch, Rory still couldn't get the dopey grin off her face and she didn't care either. She put her cell down on the table and went to collect her dinner from the kitchen. In the great mood that Rory found herself in, reheated Chinese never tasted so good as it did tonight.

* * *

"You're back!" Lorelai yelled happily as she ran at Luke and all but leapt into his arms.

He happily hugged her tight, before pulling back enough to lay a good long kiss on her lips.

"I missed you," he told her in a whisper as they parted.

"Missed you too, mister," she told him, her forehead resting against his own.

They weren't usually much for public displays of affection, at least Luke wasn't, but a week apart had started to feel like a lifetime by the end. The moment Lorelai was in his arms, it didn't matter that they were in the middle of the street, Luke just had to kiss her. Now that moment was over, he became very aware of friends and neighbours all watching them. Luke threw an arm around Lorelai's shoulders, reached for his bag from the truck and walked towards the diner door.

"You and April have fun?" she asked as they went inside.

"We did. She showed me the house, her school, all the places of interest around town. It was cool to see so much of what she's been telling me about all these months," he explained. "I like it better when she comes here to visit though. I mean, me and Anna get along well enough but I'm pretty sure it's always going to be awkward."

Lorelai nodded her understanding. Honestly, she couldn't help but be a little glad her fiancé didn't get along too well with his ex, but she also didn't want things to be bad for him. Luke needed to spend time with April and be the great father she had always known he was capable of being, given half the chance.

"So, how've things been here?" he asked, as they headed straight for the stairs to go up to the apartment, arms still around each other. "How's Rory doing?"

"Everything's good, and our Rory is very good," said Lorelai with a grin, as they went up the stairs and she opened the apartment door.

Luke followed her inside, wondering what she was quite so happy about. The evidence came when she produced a piece of paper from her back pocket, unfolding it and waving it around.

"I'm guessing that's an article she wrote?" he asked, seeing the columns of print even in his first brief glimpse of the page.

"It is. Her editor gave her a sweet deal, going to interview this up and coming author," explained Lorelai. "He wrote one book that hit the best seller list a little while back and now he's promoting the sequel. So, our Rory did the interview, wrote up the article, and... drum roll please, she is now dating said subject of the interview!"

Luke's eyes went a little wide at the barrage of information and how excited his fiancée looked about all of it. The interview was fine, the good article too. Luke was always pleased to hear that the young woman he helped raise for a while there was doing well and being happy. The dating concerned him a little bit, as it would any father figure. He tried not to be judgemental, but it was tough sometimes.

"I don't know why you're so eager for her to date again," he told Lorelai as she handed him the article. "The last two boyfriends she had turned out to be less than appropriate. Some people are just happy single," said Luke, taking a seat at the table before he looked at the paper and started to read.

"Hey, just because you lived the bachelor life for a very, very long time, Mr Hermit Guy," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Even you caved to my charms eventually, and I don't want Rory ending an old maid or whatever. Besides this guy is..."

"My nephew."

Lorelai made a face that proved she was genuinely confused. Not that Luke noticed, his eyes hadn't left the article yet.

"Um, I'm sorry," said his fiancée, shaking her head. "Who is your nephew?"

"This is. This guy right here," he said, waving the page towards her, much as she had in her excitement when they first entered the apartment, only he wasn't so much grinning. "Jess Mariano, that's my nephew's name."

"Okay", said Lorelai, elongating the word to at least three times its usual length as she took the next seat over around the table. "So, he has the same name, but are you sure it's actually the same guy?" she checked.

"I can't say for sure," Luke shook his head. "I mean, there's no picture or anything but... grew up in New York, left home right out of high school, absent father... the history ties up, and Jess Mariano isn't exatly a Joe Bloggs kinda name."

Lorelai looked from Luke to Rory's article and back a couple of times before letting out a long breath.

"Well, that's just... Well, hey, at least now we know Rory's dating a good guy, right?" she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Luke glanced up at her from the paper, opening his mouth to speak but closing it again fast. He hadn't seen Jess since he was a little kid, and even then he hadn't been the best behaved child. He could've grown up into a really nice guy, it wasn't impossible, but given his absent father and his mother, who was Luke's own flaky sister, Liz, he highly doubted that were the case. Right now didn't seem like the time to say it, but Luke definitely wanted to talk to Rory soon about all this, just in case.

_To Be Continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yep, Jess is Luke's nephew, and I'm happy to see that you guys all like the fact that connection still exists in this 'verse. On we go...**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 8

Lorelai was just a little put out that her reunion with Luke after more than a week had been upended by her daughter's new guy. Jess Mariano wasn't exactly a common name and therefore it seemed highly likely that the author Rory was lately dating could be Luke's nephew too. He didn't know for sure, but if it was the same guy, he didn't seem altogether happy about it. After the initial conversation, he had spent a lot of time debating whether to tell Rory his thoughts on the matter. Lorelai asked if there was really a point if they weren't absolutely sure this was the same Jess, unless Luke was hoping for a family reunion.

"Really not," he had told her firmly. "Don't you remember years ago when Liz asked me to take Jess in?"

Lorelai had frowned at that, trying hard to recall the circumstances. It came back to her in a rush and she had gasped with the realisation of it all. The name was unfamiliar, but she surely did remember Luke being quite upset when his sister tried to dump her teenager on him several years ago. Apparently he was causing a lot of trouble in his home town of NYC, but as Luke pointed out at the time, he knew nothing about raising kids. He wanted to help, but he just knew that he couldn't. He and Liz hadn't talked much after that.

Of course, finding out Rory's new guy might've been a tearaway teen made Lorelai wary. It was wrong to judge a young adult of twenty-something on what they did as a kid. She knew that better than anyone. Lorelai was a pregnant drop-out at sixteen, and now she had a wonderful daughter, a home of her own, part ownership of a thriving business, and a fiancé she planned to be married to in a little over three months' time. People could turn their lives around, and if this was the same Jess, he had to have done just that. One book on the best seller list and another just launched, treating Rory like a lady when he took her out last weekend apparently. Lorelai didn't want to think negatively about someone Rory really liked, and she knew she probably had no reason to.

The real issue was Luke. He couldn't let go, and his worries were rubbing off on his fiancée. If this was his nephew that Rory was seeing, he had concerns about that, unable to think of Jess as anything but a rowdy kid that was nothing but trouble. The spawn of his flaky sister and the absentee father that was Jimmy Mariano. If Luke wanted to know for sure if this Jess was his nephew then he would have to talk to Liz, but given they had barely spoken these past six years together, it was kind of tough.

"I tried the last two numbers I had for her," he told Lorelai next morning, three days after his return to Stars Hollow. "The second one gave me a forwarding address so I sent a letter, but nothing yet. I just think maybe we should let Rory know there's a chance that..."

"A chance that, what?" she prompted when he turned quiet. "That Jess is your nephew? Luke, Rory is going to take that as good news. Hell, Jess might too. From what you say, he doesn't have a lot of family, he might be glad to know you're around and want to see him."

"Huh! You really don't understand my family," he shook his head. "You know how things are with me and Liz lately, and what she said about Jess when she wanted to send him here."

"I do," Lorelai agreed. "But honey, we don't even know if this is the same guy, and if by some chance it is him, he's probably a perfectly nice, well-adjusted young man. I mean, come on, you should hear the way Rory talks about him. He's a real gentleman, a great conversationalist, and a hell of a kisser too."

Luke winced. Lorelai apologised.

"I know you didn't need to hear that last part," she shook her head. "But he's a good guy, Luke. Whoever his folks are, no matter what kind of teenager he was, he's decent now. Rory says so, and I trust her judgement," she said definitely, taking a long drink from her coffee cup.

Luke sighed heavily, adjusting his baseball cap. He knew Lorelai was right. This person Rory was seeing, it was probably just some weird cosmic coincidence that he had the same name as Luke's own nephew, and as his fiancée said, even if it were the same guy, he had clearly grown up and become a decent person. Luke trusted Rory's judgement too, but that didn't stop him worrying.

"Have you talked to her since I got back?" he asked Lorelai curiously.

"Only via email. The kid's been crazy-manic-busy at work," she replied, pushing her empty cup towards him for a refill. "Apart from telling me she is stupidly excited about her upcoming date Saturday, she hasn't mentioned Jess directly, so I didn't say anything about the whole potential nephew thing."

"Probably for the best," Luke nodded. "It'll be different when we have facts but until then, no point in scaring our girl."

Lorelai smiled widely as her fiancé wandered off to serve other patrons of the diner. Rory's biological father might be Christopher Hayden, but in all the ways that really mattered, Luke was her daddy. Thankfully the lack of biology took care of any potential blood ties between Rory and Jess, so that was cool. Still, Lorelai loved knowing Luke loved Rory almost as much as she did herself. He cared a great deal about her well-being, her safety, and so forth. Of course, when it came to Jess, Lorelai found all the worry to be mostly unfounded.

It was awkward deliberately not mentioning the possible family connection between Jess and Luke to Rory. If her daughter called her up this Saturday before her date, as she had last week, Lorelai was going to find it hard not to bring up Luke's concerns. Lying by omission was still a lie, and that gave Lorelai an uncomfortableness where Rory was concerned. All she could hope was that Luke would have an answer on the whole Jess thing before the weekend came around, then this could be figured out, one way or the other.

* * *

The working day flew past Rory faster than she ever could have imagined it would. She had just been so busy lately. Deadlines were short and word limits were too. Since Rory was a rambler from way back, she needed every word she could and struggled to edit sufficiently to make a decent, punchy article every time. The changes in the way the paper ran lately was making her head spin, and as much as she loved it, she was desperate to get to the leave she had booked for two weeks' time. She was also pretty excited to get to this Saturday and her date with Jess.

Rory didn't get much time to think about anything but work when she was at the paper. She emailed with her mom a little bit and was giving Paris good counsel by phone during her lunch break, pretty much every day since Doyle's proposal. Paris had begged for thinking time and that had just led her boyfriend to think she didn't care at all. There had been quite the major blow out and Rory was on long-range damage control for the foreseeable. Today's conversation had ended with Paris' realisation that maybe getting married wouldn't be so bad, if Doyle still wanted her. Rory hoped she gave sound advice and that her friend would take it. That was hours ago now, and Rory was home in her own apartment, planning to go bed soon and wishing for sleep that she didn't really think would come.

Lately her head was almost as full as her plate at work. Jess had emailed her about their date on Tuesday and she instantly replied that the time of the movie was fine with her. They had started a conversation then that had continued for two days, every email being barely a line or two, partly because it was all Rory had time for, partly because this way their banter was much the same as when they talked in person and she loved that.

It wasn't the same though. Rory wanted a real talk with Jess, perhaps even more than she wanted to talk to her own mother right now, and that was serious, she knew. Lorelai was more than her mom, she was Rory's best friend too, and she always made time for her just as often as she could. The fact was, Rory was mindful of calling her mother these past few nights, sure she would want to spend them alone with Luke now he was home. They had been apart barely ten days, but in Gilmore girl time that was a very long time to be parted from the man you loved. Rory knew that as well as Lorelai did from her past relationships. Right now it felt like torture not to have talked to Jess in the past three days, and they had only been on one date so far.

"I am a crazy person," Rory muttered to herself as she made an effort to tidy some of the mess in her apartment.

It occurred to her half way through that she was doing this for Jess. She could never invite him into her home until it was organised, and so she was tidying. It hit her a moment later that she was seriously thinking about giving that invitation. That after two dates, she might want Jess to come up to her place. Her mind wandered to why she would want to do that and Rory blushed terribly in spite of the fact she was entirely alone. It didn't stop her from continuing her cleaning and tidying until it was done.

Showered and changed for bed an hour later, Rory climbed in under the covers and settled down to read by the light of her bed side lamp. She had Allen Ginsberg's Howl in her hands, and as she started to skim down the pages of text she knew so well, she realised the voice in her head was not hers nor some imagined male tone that might be Ginsberg's own. No, the voice reading this epic poem to her belonged to Jess Mariano.

They had talked about it a couple of times, so maybe it wasn't so surprising. Jess had some real definite opinions on the work that Rory loved to hear and was surprised to find she agreed with. Mostly she just loved the passion with which he talked about any literature that he loved. Jess was a very passionate person, Rory considered, and blushed all over again at the implications.

"Dirty!" she said to herself, though in her head the word was spoken in her mother's laughing tones.

Rory tried to concentrate on her book again, but it did no good. Jess spoke to her of 'the incomparable blind streets of shuddering cloud and lightning' and 'the ghostly daze of Chinatown soup alleyways and fire trucks'. It was impossible not to imagine him lying there with her, dark eyes looking into her own as he spoke with passion and feeling, the like of which she had never known before. Closing her eyes a moment, Rory let the book drop onto the covers and ran her hands over her face. She was over tired and getting herself all worked up over Jess was no good at all. She should just go to sleep, but Rory knew that wasn't going to happen until she found something else to think about. Reaching for her cell, she hit the speed dial for her mom, hoping to talk about normal and banal Stars Hollow life stuff that would soon put any lusty wrong feelings for Jess right out of her head. Rory got a real shock when on the third ring a very familiar male voice spoke to her.

"Hello?" she checked, sitting up fast.

"Rory?" replied Jess. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah. I... um, I just.. Hi, Jess," she floundered.

A part of her just wanted to tell him she had misdialled and hang up, but she knew that would sound ridiculous or possibly even insulting. Rory literally face-palmed, wondering what she actually was going to say next. Jess saved her a little by filling in the silence himself.

"You're not calling to cancel for Saturday, are you?" he checked.

"No, not at all," she promised. "I was just... thinking about you," she said honestly, immediately wishing she hadn't.

What a thing to say to a guy you had only known a week and a half and shared one date with! Rory flopped back against the pillows loud enough to make a thud, her eyes closed tight shut, as if that would make this whole horribly awkward situation go away. Of course it didn't work, but Jess' reply in her ear made her feel a little better.

"Oh, yeah? Actually, I was thinking about you too," he admitted. "Y'know I wasn't going to tell you this but, well, I started working on my next novel already. One of the characters, she's a little like you."

Rory's eyes opened wide at that confession and she bit her lip, thinking what to say in response to such an honour. In the end, she just admitted she had no idea how to reply.

"I don't really know what to say to that. 'Thank you' sounds weird."

"A little," he agreed. "What can I say, Rory? You're inspiring."

"Jess!" she cried, feeling so stupid for blushing when he couldn't even see her. "You're... Could we stop talking about how great I am, please? It's weird."

"Sorry," he apologised, though there was laughter in his voice when he said it. "I am glad you called me," he said then. "Though I'm a little surprised you're up this late, Working Girl. Er, Melanie Griffiths movie reference, not the other thing."

"I got it," she promised, knowing very well what his words could have been taken as something much worse in the wrong circumstances. "I have been very busy at work, which is why I came to bed early but I couldn't sleep so... Hence the phone call."

Jess got very quiet then and it took Rory a minute to realise he probably felt strange hearing she was calling him from her bed. Now that she considered it, she felt weird about it too, but not necessarily in a bad way. She imagined Jess sitting up in his bed just as she was now, probably not wearing anything from the waist up. Rory didn't know exactly what that view looked like, but she was imagining it pretty well. Suddenly the room felt exceptionally warm.

"Usually reading puts me to sleep eventually," Jess told her then. "But sometimes the book is just too interesting and I don't sleep at all."

"Oh, I've been there," Rory nodded her understanding, even though he couldn't see. "And then there are the times I wake up suddenly at some stupid hour with the perfect ending for whatever article I'm working on."

"That I get!" Jess agreed heartily. "You have no idea how many times I've got up in the middle of the night with a chapter in me that just has to be written. It'll be morning and I'm just sitting there barely dressed still typing like a crazy person. It's real embarrassing when the landlord comes knocking for the rent."

"He never saw a half-naked author before?" Rory giggled with amusement, and to cover the embarrassment she felt in using the word 'naked' in this conversation, especially when applying it to Jess himself.

"She," he corrected. "And the woman stares way too much considering she is old enough to be my grandmother."

"Eeew!" Rory laughed heartily at that.

The conversation continued in much the same vein, sharing stories, talking about books and such, telling silly tales. It was three a.m. when Rory started yawning terribly and Jess soon noticed.

"Wow. Have you even looked at a clock lately?" he asked.

Rory turned her head to see and gasped.

"Woah. I... I should really go," she realised with no small amount of sadness. "I'm sorry to have kept you up so late... or early," she considered.

"Do you hear me complaining?" asked Jess, as Rory shifted further down under her covers. "But you clearly need some sleep, so good night, Rory."

"Good night, Jess," she replied sleepily. "I'll see you Saturday. Don't be late."

"Wouldn't dare," he promised. "Sweet dreams."

"Pretty sure they will be now," she mumbled, hanging up the phone, never knowing how much she had made Jess smile before he too let sleep claim him.

_To Be Continued..._

**A/N2: Next chapter - The Second Date!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Y'all seem very excited about this story which makes me sooo happy! Here comes the second date - please brace for impact ;)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 9

For her second date with Jess, Rory found she was no less nervous when it came to getting ready. In fact, if it were possible, she felt even more pressure to look the part. What that part was, Rory couldn't really say. She supposed she was trying to be the woman Jess wanted to date, which was crazy, because he had proven already that she was that person, regardless of how she dressed. This was how Rory had come to establish she was losing her mind thanks to one Jess Mariano and had told her mother so.

"But from what you've told me, what a way to go," Lorelai had said in response, making Rory laugh.

The conversation had been surprisingly short, which Rory thought was strange. She had called after lunch on Saturday, thinking maybe her mom would have time for a good long chat, but she seemed to have a hundred and one reasons to hang up. It wasn't that Rory didn't believe she was busy, because Lorelai was almost always busy lately, but she always had time for her, especially when talk turned to dating. Rory's mother was a staunch supporter of her little girl interacting with people and becoming a more social person, and she definitely wanted to see her happy in a romantic relationship too. Rory couldn't say for sure that Jess was 'the one', if such a thing even existed for her, but she did like him, a very lot.

"Going to a movie," she said to herself as she rifled through her closet. "Maybe dinner after, I guess. Probably nowhere fancy..."

Rory continued to mutter under her breath as she pulled six different shirts, two pairs of pants, and three skirts from their various hiding places. She mixed and matched for all she was worth and then huffed a sigh and threw everything in one big pile on her bed. This was insane. She could pick out an outfit for her mom, for Paris, for Lane in a matter of moments, but give Rory the contents of her own wardrobe for her own date, and she just couldn't deal.

"It's just a movie and a casual dinner," she told herself then, taking a deep breath. "Half the night, you'll be in the dark, and besides, Jess is dating you, not your clothes," she reminded herself, as she started over with her clothing choices. "And stop talking to yourself, the neighbours are going to think you're a nut!"

A half hour later, Rory checked her hair in the mirror, applied a little lip gloss, and then stepped back to look down at her clothes. Dark blue jeans and a cream sweater with flat shoes seemed like a sensible but cute choice, Rory thought as she flipped her hair around her shoulders and decided she was all set. Her watch showed six forty five which meant Jess could arrive at any time. In fact, Rory had barely managed to check her purse contained all the essentials when the door buzzer sounded. She answered immediately.

"Hey, it's me," said Jess in reply.

"Be right down," she promised, grabbing up her jacket and rushing for the elevator.

Jess met Rory at the door and smiled at the sight of her.

"Still protective of the messy apartment, huh?" he teased her.

Rory blushed and ducked her face behind her hair. The truthful answer was that she had cleaned up her place, but the reason as to why was highly embarrassing. Probably best not to tell Jess that she had been giving serious thought to how this night could end before it even began. After all the time she had spent telling her mother she wasn't that kind of girl. It was kind of tough to remember that in Jess' company.

"Remind me again why I agreed to this second date?" she asked as he held the door open for her and she passed out into the cold night air.

Jess didn't answer her in words, just caught her wrist as she went by, pulling her close and kissing her lips. Rory felt a warmth pass through the whole of her body even after such a breif and sweet moment, just like the last time.

"Hmm, trying to remember if that was the only reason," she said more to herself than to Jess as she turned away. "I guess you get bonus points for actually bringing a cab this time."

"That I know I deserve," he countered, opening the door of the car for her too.

"I think you do", she smiled sweetly as she slipped into the back of the taxi and moved over so he could join her.

Jess gave the driver the name of the movie theatre and the car pulled away into the New York traffic. Rory smiled widely as she settled back in her seat, glancing across at Jess in the dim light. She caught him looking back at her with a similarly happy look on his face.

"You look great, by the way," he told her. "But then you always do."

"Thanks," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I just put on the next thing in the closet", she shrugged, biting her lip.

Rory wasn't sure why she lied about it, but it was done now and couldn't really matter. She forgot to care when she felt Jess hand reach for hers on the seat and lace their fingers together. It ought to be weird and uncomfortable, they had only been on one official date. Hell, this was only the fourth time they had met, and yet, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to be this close. Rory wasn't going to complain, not at all.

* * *

"So," said Jess as he and Rory stepped out of the movie theatre together. "That movie was..."

"It was... different," she said diplomatically.

"It was awful," Jess declared at which Rory sighed.

"Oh, it was terrible!" she laughed in relief that he agreed with her. "Seriously? The book has to be different."

"_So_ different!" Jess told her, perhaps a little too loudly.

As they walked, he laid out the ways in which the book far outweighed the movie, with all that passion she had been thinking about a couple of nights ago when she was picturing him reading Ginsberg's Howl aloud to her. Rory tried not to let the heat rise in her cheeks as she recalled that night, and instead concentrated on Jess' actual words right now. He was quite the picture when he got so into what he was talking about, so animated and almost emotional. Rory loved it.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm going a little overboard," he apologised when he realised she was staring at him with what appeared to be amusement written all over her face.

"No, I think it's great," she shook her head. "It's rare to find somebody who cares that much about what Hollywood is doing to some of literatures greatest works. You should have heard me on the topic of what those movie types did to Tuck Everlasting. My mom almost had to call the fire department to hose me down!"

"That I'd've liked to see," said Jess with a wicked smirk.

Rory bumped his shoulder with her own for being that way, but only managed to put herself close enough to him that their hands came together naturally, just as they had in the cab earlier.

"This okay?" asked Jess, looking down at their entwined fingers.

"Very okay," she nodded, not sure if the shiver that went through her when their eyes met was the cold or something else entirely. "Um, so did you have plans for where we're headed for dinner? I mean, I wore flats for the walking unless it's too far?"

"I didn't really have a solid plan," Jess admitted, even as they continued walking aimlessly. "But there's a whole bunch of really cool places to choose from," he considered. "All within a couple of blocks of here too."

Jess started naming restaurants, diners, and cafes he knew well, extolling their virtues to Rory so she could pick which one she would rather go to. She was amazed by his great impression of the Zagat's guide to odd and obscure but great sounding independent establishments.

"You know all these great places," she realised. "I've lived in this city for more than a year now and I've never heard of any of them. You make me feel like such an outsider."

"You just have to know where to look," Jess shrugged easily. "I'm New York born and raised, I've walked these streets a million times. But hey, I could give you a tour sometime, show you where all the best places are, and not just for food. Book stores and records stores too. All the greatest places that most people have never even heard of. You'll love it."

"I'm sure I will," she agreed with a grin.

"Y'know the greatest place in New York to eat is usually right around here," he said as they turned the corner, gesturing to an empty spot on the pavement. "There's a hot dog stand here every day. Obviously it's too late for the guy right now, but I'll make sure we catch him next time."

"Next time?" Rory asked with a hint of a smirk.

Jess returned the look and nodded conformation; "Next time" he said definitely.

Rory didn't know exactly what possessed her but on finding him so incredibly close, just talking about another date like it was a given, she couldn't help but steal a kiss. Jess sure didn't seem to mind, deepening the moment as soon as Rory initiated it. Her arms went up around his neck as he pulled her closer, his hands at her waist. They were breathless when they eventually parted.

"Mmm. As nice as this is, I'm still hungry," she admitted. "I'm afraid the extra-large popcorn and Raisinettes just didn't cut it."

"Don't take this the wrong way," said Jess, tucking her hair behind her ear. "But you can really eat."

Rory giggled at that, not at all offended by something she had been told a great many times in her life so far.

"My mom's the same," she told him. "We're gifted eaters, and talkers, and coffee drinkers actually," she considered, pulling out of his arms and taking hold of his hand again. "So, feed me, please?"

Jess just stood and looked at her for a minute. She was beautiful, he knew that from the moment he met Rory Gilmore, but it was much more than her pretty face and fine figure that pulled him in. It was every part of her, the sense of humour, the intelligence, the perfect combination of childlike innocence and womanly wiles. Rory was like no other woman he ever met, and Jess couldn't help but keep on coming back for more every time they parted. She was becoming an addiction already, just one more for a long list he already had, but this one he swore he never wanted to break.

"C'mon," he said, pulling on her hand. "I know a place," he told her, leading the way.

Rory willingly followed him, and not just because she was hungry. Crazy as it sounded, even inside her own head, she was pretty sure she would follow Jess anywhere at this point, and she didn't care at all.

* * *

"You cannot even compare the two!" Jess was saying as he followed Rory out of the cab outside her building. "I'm not questioning Hilary Swank's abilities as an actress, but Kamen already bled the plot dry by stretching it over three movies, and the female reboot was just a sad shadow of the original."

"Maybe that's true, but personally, I am all for any movie that shows a little girl power," said Rory smartly. "Besides, Ralph Macchio's best work came long before. Hello, have you seen The Outsiders? If Johnny Cade doesn't break your heart after ninety minutes, then you're just a robot, Mister!"

Jess couldn't help but laugh at her impassioned speech. They had been doing this since the diner, bantering back and forth on the topic of just about every movie they could come up with from the crappy to the sublime. They agreed on very little, but it was highly entertaining to argue, all in a good natured way, about their opinions. It was a real shame to realise that at this point the night was over.

"I had a really great time, Jess," Rory told him then. "Crappy movie notwithstanding, it was good," she clarified.

"It was," he agreed easily.

The goodnight kiss seemed inevitable and was entirely welcomed by both sides of the couple. Jess' hand went to Rory's face as he pulled her closer and covered her lips with his own. It was a sweet lingering moment that still ended too soon for Rory, in fact, she tripped forward a little when Jess pulled away and felt kind of silly about it.

"So, I guess this is goodnight," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep him from touching her again, knowing it was unfair to push her at all.

"Yeah," Rory agreed, biting her lip. "Goodnight, Jess," she said firmly, and yet the moment he moved to walk away she couldn't help but grab at him and plant another kiss on his lips.

Since she started it, Jess wasn't going to be so stupid as to back off a second time. His arms wrapped tight around her as the kiss went on and on. It was only the fact they were standing in the middle of the street that stopped them going altogether too far. Jess' senses caught up to him and he pulled back.

"Rory..." he gasped in air as she did the same.

Meeting his eyes, she didn't look at all ready to tell him to leave, but it was her place to say if she wanted him to stay, Jess wouldn't ask.

"You, er... You wanna come in? For coffee?" she asked then, breathless and beautiful as he stared at her.

"Coffee?" he checked, knowing how many meanings that could have depending on the woman saying it.

"Yeah, coffee," she repeated, nodding her head.

That didn't really clear anything up for Jess, but saying no, even to the chance to spend a few more minutes in Rory's company tonight seemed very stupid. He wasted no time paying off the cab and then hurrying to follow Rory into her building. She hit the call button for the elevator and suddenly looked oddly nervous. Jess cleared his throat.

"Er, you want me to just call another cab and go...?" he started to ask, but Rory shook her head.

The elevator doors opened with a ping and they both stepped inside. She was awfully close and reached up to kiss him again as the doors slid shut and they started to rise.

"It's just coffee," she shrugged, an unreadable look in her eyes as they parted.

The elevator arrived at her floor, the doors opening immediately. Rory stepped out and Jess waited a moment before he followed her.

"Huh," he said to himself. "Just coffee. Okay then."

It really was okay. Jess liked coffee, and the chance to even spend some time just talking with Rory was fine with him. Of course if he could get to second base too, he wasn't going to complain. He really wasn't expecting anything else at this point. What happened happened, and if it was nothing more than a hot beverage, then he would be okay with that. Disappointed, but okay. This was only their second date, and he had been the one thinking how great it was that Rory wasn't the easy type. He didn't want her to be, and yet, when he followed her into her apartment and spotted her bed through the half-open door directly opposite, he kind of couldn't help but think otherwise.

"Mind out of the gutter, Mariano," he berated himself when Rory wandered straight through to the kitchen, telling him to make himself comfortable.

Jess sat down on the end of the couch, then got up and moved to the middle. He got up again a second later, feeling strange. This was not him, the whole dating a nice girl thing. Jess had never done it, not once. Women came and went from his life, one night stands, dirty weekends. Even those had been few and far between this past year or so. He got disillusioned with the whole thing, the easy women, the casual flings. Not that Jess had gone looking for some epic romance, but the moment he met Rory he knew he was in for a different kind of experience. Love at first sight was corny and cliché, unrealistic in the extreme, or so Jess always thought. Such things belonged in movies and books, but not in real life, at least he would have said so before he met one particular journalist.

When Rory turned around from putting the coffee machine on, she was a little startled to find Jess standing in the entrance to the kitchen, leaning casually on the doorjamb just staring at her. It made her oddly nervous, but it was a feeling she didn't mind at all. Jess had done this to her from the get go. In fact, his writing had got her pretty excited before she ever even met him. Now every look sent a shiver down her spine, every kiss overwhelmed her to a point where she lost all sense of reason. She said she invited him up here for coffee, just a drink, nothing else. Rory wasn't so sure she meant that now. She wasn't sure of anything.

"Um, cups," she said quickly turning back around.

His gaze was too much to bear right now. Rory was going to do something stupid if Jess didn't stop looking at that way, and yet it would be impossible to ever say such a thing to him, because it would be just awful if he stopped.

Reaching into the top cupboard for the mugs, Rory's shaking hand knocked one flying. She had no idea when Jess had moved or how any real life person could have reactions that fast, but his hand was there to catch the mug before it hit the counter top. She turned around slowly, finding herself inadvertently in his arms before she had a chance to process.

"Jess..." she said too softly, not even sure where she was going with that sentence anyway, and not needing to bother to find any more words when suddenly he was kissing her again.

Rory got lost in the moment. She was aware Jess had put down the mug since both his hands were now on her back, searing her skin through the fabric of her clothes. Her own fingers tangled in his hair as she kept him close and ensured the kiss went on until she simply couldn't breathe anymore. Even then it almost felt too good to let it end, and Rory moaned deep in her throat as she finally forced herself to pull away. Bracing herself back against the counter, she put a foot of distance between Jess' body and her own. It didn't do that much good but she had to get her bearings here.

"I'm sorry," said Jess, so suddenly that Rory felt herself jump with surprise. "I just thought... I mean, I know you said just coffee, but then..."

"I meant just coffee," Rory told him definitely, her resolve wavering within a moment as she watched him run a hand back through his hair and then meet her eyes. "Didn't I?" she questioned herself aloud and realised the answer was all too plain to the both of them now. "Oh, damn!" she declared, practically throwing herself back into Jess' arms, coffee all but forgotten.

_To Be Continued..._


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This chapter got long, but hey, its the morning after the night before so there's a lot to say! You guys are not going to complain about a lengthy chapter of full-on Literati, right? ;) Thank you sooo much for all the reviewage. You make me grin :D**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 10

Rory woke up slowly and with a sudden realisation that things were not as they usually were in her world. She had a habit of sleeping in the centre of the bed as a rule, since she had no reason to pick a side. This particular morning she found herself decidedly on the right side of the bed, facing the window. She forgot to draw the curtains last night, and for a brief moment she couldn't remember why, then she glanced down and saw the arm slung casually across her waist from behind.

"Oh my God!" she whispered to herself, a mild panic spreading through her.

She slept with Jess last night. Rory Gilmore, on her second date with a guy, had allowed him into her bed. She was a slut, a moralless tramp! Of course whilst the practically saintly voice in her mind yelled these awful things, another brain-voice chimed in much more loudly to remind Rory that the whole experience had been amazing, mind-blowing actually. Truth be told, Rory hadn't felt that good in a long time, if ever, and hey, at least she hadn't let it happen on the first date, that would've been much worse.

Carefully turning over with Jess' arm across her body, Rory was amazed to find he was still sleeping soundly. A smile came to her lips as she looked at him. He was just so peaceful and so nice to look at it. She could stare all day and be perfectly content. Well, maybe that was going too far. Lying here just looking was never going to be enough, as proven by the way her hand came up to touch his cheek, fingers moving through his hair and over the plains of his face. That was when he started to stir. Rory froze.

Jess' eyes came open and he looked across at the face on the next pillow. He smiled.

"Hi."

"Hey," Rory replied, realising too late her arm was still out-stretched, her hand resting near his face.

She stopped worrying about it when he picked up that same hand and kissed her palm. It made her blush, that action, and the fact she had been lying here wondering at how great Jess looked there beside her in her bed.

"What?" he asked, sure there was something on her mind that she wasn't saying.

Rory shook her head slightly against the pillow, pulled her hand back to herself and bit down on her thumb. She knew what he wanted to hear, the very thoughts in her head right now, but in spite of what they had done last night, she felt stupid saying it. With her eyes closed against his intense gaze, she suddenly confessed.

"I was just thinking... that you're beautiful," she admitted shyly.

She opened her eyes and found that Jess' expression was mostly unreadable, a strange mix of amusement and surprise.

"That's not what a guy usually wants to hear," he admitted eventually. "But thanks, I think?"

"You're welcome," Rory giggled, unable to help herself. "This is weird," she admitted then, turning onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

"Yeah," Jess agreed, copying the position. "I mean, not bad weird, but... I've got to admit, I haven't woken up with anybody in a long time," he confessed, putting one arm behind his head.

"Me either," Rory sighed. "And I've never... I mean, I'm not usually that kind of person that would just... after two weeks, on two dates, I wouldn't normally go ahead and... but we did," she rambled, as Rory was want to do, becoming more frantic by the second, Jess noted. "You and I, we... we did. Oh God!" she gasped suddenly, hands covering her face.

"Rory?"

Jess turned to face her again, a little disturbed by what he saw as an over-reaction to what had happened here. He seriously wasn't sure if she was crying or what. The moment he reached out to move her hands from her face, they came away of their own accord.

"I'm sorry," she told him, dry eyed but clearly upset. "This isn't flattering for you. I really don't mean to make you feel bad. You didn't take advantage of me or anything, I'm not accusing you of that, and what we did was good, _so_ good," she emphasised, in spite of her panic. "I mean, I don't think I could walk right now even if I wanted to, but I still can't believe we did that. We're practically strangers, Jess!"

"Okay, first, please, would you take a breath?" he urged her, sitting up against the head board as she did the same, pulling the covers up with her so she wasn't showing everything. "Second, we may not have known each other all that long, but you do know me, Rory," he told her definitely, encouraging her to meet his eyes. "You know me, and I know you. I've told you things my best friends don't even know about me. Those two dates we had, the coffee before that, the interview even, that adds up to more conversation than I've probably had with anybody else in my entire life."

Rory's eyes went wide.

"That's crazy."

"It's also true," Jess insisted. "Rory, I can't speak for you, but as far as I can tell, what happened here last night happened because we wanted it to, because it felt right."

"It did," she agreed, nodding her head. "It did feel right."

"So then what is the problem?"

Rory couldn't answer that and said as much.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I guess it's just... it's because I only ever slept with two guys before this. Two serious boyfriends who I'd been dating for a good long while before I made that leap, and yes, I know, I'm older now and the world is changing, and... and I know that I'm not making sense, Jess," she admitted as she faced him. "I'm sorry for coming off like such a complete freak right now, but this is what you do to me. You do, you... you overwhelm me. Can you understand that?" she asked him desperately.

Jess didn't have words to answer her, at least not at first. She was so beautiful, and crazy, and like no other woman he ever met. Here she was, his wonderful Rory, throwing compliments with one hand, and telling him he was a terrible mistake at the same time. Such was the enigma of this woman he was falling hard and fast for, and he wanted her to know that he understood exactly how she was feeling, because he was feeling it too. His hand slid into her hair and pulled her head closer so he could kiss her deeply.

"Yes, I understand being overwhelmed," he promised her when they parted. "Because that is exactly what you do to me too."

Rory leaned into his touch, shifted her body closer so she could kiss him again. Jess Mariano was fast becoming all she could think about and all she wanted. Maybe that was crazy, maybe she was completely mentally unstable at this point, and still Rory couldn't care. This all felt far too good to give it up, to want to be cured from whatever the heck might be wrong with her. Unfortunately, all good things did have to come to an end, or at the very least a pause. As Jess tried to lay her down again, Rory very deliberately shifted away.

"I'd love to just let this happen... again," she confessed. "But honestly..."

"You want me to go," said Jess with genuine regret, trying to be the bigger man here and not show he was disappointed, even hurt by her decision. "It's okay, I get it."

"No, you don't," Rory told him, grabbing his arm as he tried to roll away from her. "I don't want you to leave, Jess, I really don't. I just think maybe some food, and definitely some coffee, might be good before any more physical activity takes place, okay?" she told him as he looked back and met her eyes.

Jess smirked at the misunderstanding and then leaned in closer to kiss her lips.

"You put the coffee on, I'll run to the store," he told her. "Then I can cook you breakfast."

Rory would've said he didn't have to, but honestly, she loved that he would offer. She had already confessed several times that her cooking skills were non-existent and her apartment rarely contained anything edible that wasn't leftover take-out. Clearly Jess had been listening and was going to be a real sweetheart about that as well as everything else.

"Sounds good," she agreed, biting her lip as she watched him hop out of bed buck-naked and go searching for his clothes that were well-spread in a haphazard path from the bed out to the living room.

Rory fell back against the pillows the moment he was out of sight and a giggle of laughter escaped her lips. This was not how she had pictured the weekend turning out, but honestly, she couldn't complain at all so far.

* * *

They ate breakfast at the kitchen table, him in his pants and undershirt from the night before, her in nothing but her underwear and a stretched-out over-sized T-shirt that she clearly slept in, when she wasn't getting naked with 'strangers'. In spite of the fact they had only known each other a couple of weeks, and Rory's severe amount of awkwardness when they first woke up together, it was all surprisingly comfortable and domestically normal. Jess even offered to do the dishes while Rory hopped in the shower. She told him he didn't have to. Jess only smirked and said he wanted to, because then she would have a reason to thank him later. It was worth the joke to make her blush. How a woman could do that after what they had got up to last night, Jess had no idea, but he kind of loved the strange intricacies of Rory's character that way.

Jess was long done with the dishes and general tidying up before Rory ever got out of the bathroom. He wandered back to the bedroom not really knowing what to do with himself, when he spotted the pile of books on the nightstand. Obviously he had other things on his mind last night and hadn't notice the reading material at all. Now Jess saw familiar titles that made him smile. Throwing himself on top of the covers, he got comfortable against the pillows and opened up the top book from the pile. He was engrossed by the time Rory emerged from the shower, wearing sweats and towel-drying her hair.

"What are you...?" she began to ask, and Jess immediately flashed the cover of the book her way. "Oh, yeah. I was reading that the other night," she admitted, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside him.

"Because we talked about it?" he checked, replacing Ginsberg's Howl on her pile of books.

"Partly," Rory nodded, still focused on drying her hair with the towel.

Something about the way she said it and tried to keep her face hidden proved there was way more to it than that. Jess pulled the towel away from her, making her look up sharply and with surprise written on her face.

"Rory," he said in such a way that she knew he knew she had something to hide. "C'mon, tell me. You know you want to," he teased her.

"What is this, truth or dare?" she asked, rolling her eyes like he was being just so annoying.

"If you want," Jess shrugged easily, even as Rory laughed at his agreement. "Hey, you're the one who said we didn't know enough about each other. I'm not so much for the dares, but we can play 'truth' if you want to. I've got nothing to hide."

"You're serious," Rory realised.

"Deadly."

Rory moved further up the bed, shoving Jess until he moved to the left side. They both reclined on top of the covers, facing each other and Rory smiled.

"Okay, hit me."

"First question," Jess nodded once. "Why's the book making you blush so bad all of a sudden, when we both know you've read it, like, forty times before?"

"Because..." Rory started, feeling dumb. "I may have pictured a scene similar to this morning, with you here, kind of naked, reading Howl to me," she confessed, sure her face was scarlet all over as she confessed it.

"Really?" asked Jess, fighting the grin that wanted to be all over his own face.

"Yes, really," she agreed, looking away a moment. "That was the night I called you. Hey, don't be smug!" she told him sharply as she caught him smirking terribly.

"I'm not!" he argued, even though he was clearly flattered and loving it. "Hey, you don't think I imagined you naked before I saw the real thing? Because if that's true then you know nothing about guys," he countered. "Now, your question."

Rory bit her lip appearing to consider her options carefully. She was pretty sure she was convincing, that Jess would have no idea she ended up asking the only question that was in her head in this moment.

"Do I measure up to the picture in your head?"

"No," he shook his head then, before immediately continuing without missing a beat. "You're a thousand times better."

"Good answer," Rory told him, leaning in close enough to kiss.

"I know," he replied, letting his lips drop onto hers. "Now, my turn..."

The back and forth continued, with questions both silly and serious. Certain answers prompted rewards of kisses and more, the pair of them rolling around on the bed like giddy teenagers in the first throes of love. Maybe they really weren't so very far away from being exactly that. Sure, neither Rory nor Jess was a teen anymore, but what was developing between them was way more serious than either could have imagined when they first met, there was no doubt in either of their minds about that.

Their game of 'Truth' eventually turned into several rounds of 'I Never'. By her own admission, Rory was coming off pretty lame as she confessed to never having tried a cigarette, and had also never gone skinny dipping. Jess mocked her mercilessly but in the sweetest way for her angelic tendencies, and the game went on.

"Okay, I've never... slept with a guy on the first date," she said, certain in her reputation still since this had all happened as a result of a _second_ evening spent in each other's company.

Jess thought hard of something viable to say, since his list of things he had never done was already much shorter than Rory's own, it seemed.

"Hmm, I've never kissed a person of my own sex."

"Really?" asked Rory, raising an eyebrow. "I have."

That got a wide-eyed reaction, as she had known it would. Jess looked genuinely shocked.

"Okay, that's going to require explanation."

"It was nothing," Rory waved away his interest as if there was no reason at all for him to care about this. "My best friend in college, Paris, she and I did Spring Break in Freshman year and she kissed me to get us served at a bar, or into a club maybe? I can't even remember now. It was so stupid," she giggled at the memory, but Jess still looked oddly impressed.

"Wow," he declared. "And you come off so innocent in the first meeting, but now it's all clear to me, that's just a ruse to reel a person in. The truth is you kiss girls, you jump innocent authors..."

"Hey, you were a willing participant!" she argued against his terrible teasing, trying not to give in and laugh even though she wanted to. "More than willing if I remember right."

"Can't argue with that," Jess told her, his arm around her body pulling her closer.

Rory rolled over, finding herself practically nose to nose with him again. His eyes searched her face and she wondered what he was thinking, apart from the obvious. When Jess moved to kiss her, she let him. Rory wrapped her arms around him and pushed herself ever closer, their bodies pressed together tightly. Memories of last night were fresh in their minds and repeating the pleasure of those activities seemed like the most natural next step. Even so, Rory felt strange about it by the light of day.

"You know," she said between fevered kisses, "at some point we should probably get up from this bed again," she gasped as Jess' lips moved against her neck. "Shouldn't we?" she asked, feeling her head start to spin.

"That's just crazy talk," he told her, lips returning to hers to kiss her breathless. "I think you really need to lie down," he said, putting her on her back.

Rory meant to argue but forgot how as she looked up at him. Her fingers grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him down on top of her.

"Jess," she gasped as he moved against her. "I did mean what I said, that we should get up."

"Way ahead of you," he whispered in her ear and she groaned as she very much felt precisely what he meant.

It was almost painful to realise he might have listened to her then as he pulled back to hover over her.

"Rory," he said seriously. "You really want me to stop?" he asked her out-right.

It took all of two seconds for her to answer.

"No," she confessed, and that was the last word spoken, the last coherent thought either of them had for a good long while.

* * *

They ended up staying in bed pretty much all day. Neither Rory nor Jess was willing to move unless absolutely necessary, which pretty much limited them to only leaving the bed and each other if they had to fetch food and drink or take turns visiting the bathroom. It was years since Rory had done anything like this, and she was pretty sure she never enjoyed it quite so much. It wasn't just the sex either, though that was pretty damn amazing all by itself. The talking was good too, and the quiet moments just lying there in each other's arms. Rory got a little fantasy moment when Jess grabbed Howl from her nightstand again and started reading it aloud. To be fair, he only got three pages in before she was on top of him, but it was the thought that counted, she supposed.

It was late in the afternoon now, and they were sprawled against each other reading separate books in silence. Jess couldn't think of a time when he was last this comfortable, and unwittingly confessed it aloud.

"I would love to agree, and at any other moment today, I probably would," Rory admitted. "But right now, I need a bathroom break," she said, excusing herself, planting a kiss on his chest before she hopped out of bed and rushed away.

Jess watched her naked form disappear out the door and then looked back to the book in his hands. It wasn't exactly a comedy, and yet the grin on his face would not shift at all. This was definitely not the worst day of his life. In fact it was right up there in the top ten greatest as far as he was concerned.

A buzzing sound got Jess' attention then and he reached over onto the nightstand where Rory's cell was hopping around. He check the screen and then called out to her.

"Hey, Rory! Your mom is calling. You want me to answer it?" he teased her.

"No!" she yelled, racing back fast and grabbing the phone from his hand.

"I was kidding," he clarified.

Rory stuck out her tongue as she accepted the call but refused to get back in the bed, even when Jess gestured that she should.

"Hey, mom," she greeted Lorelai with a forced smile she hoped she would hear as a real one, grabbing the comforter off the bottom of the bed and wrapping it around her naked form.

Jess found the whole thing weird but amusing. Clearly Rory didn't feel okay about taking a call from her mother whilst naked in bed with a guy. Honestly, Jess could relate. He wasn't so sure this was a moment he would want to be talking to Liz either, but then he pretty much never wanted to talk to her anyway, so it was by the by.

Of course Jess didn't know what Lorelai asked Rory on the phone, but from the way she glanced at him and then was fast saying 'it went pretty well', he had to assume the conversation was about their date, at least to start off with.

Rory put her back to Jess then, feeling odd. She loved her mom dearly and she really, really liked Jess, but those two worlds colliding this way felt strange. She focused on Lorelai's voice and tried not to think too much about what had been happening just an hour or so before. It helped when Jess whispered that he was going to take a turn in the bathroom.

"I'm glad it was good, sweets. That's really great," said Lorelai happily. "But listen, er, I kinda have some news."

"Good or bad?" asked Rory worriedly.

"Neither exactly," her mother confessed. "More informative."

"Okay."

"Um, well, kind of a funny story actually. Um, you know your pal Jess? Well, it turns out, he's Luke's nephew!"

Rory's eyes went comically wide at that confession. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Of all the weird coincidences in the world, she was not expecting this one, not even a little bit. She barely heard the rest of what her mom said and was quick to say she would have to call Lorelai back before hanging up the phone. Jess returned and found her sat on the edge of the bed with the weirdest expression on her face.

"Rory?" he checked, full of concern as he crouched down to meet her eyes. "You okay?

"Er, yeah, I think so," she nodded slowly. "Um, Jess, I kind of have something to tell you..."

_To Be Continued..._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: You guys really dig the Literati sexy times, huh? lol Like I didn't see that coming :P Well, this chapter has a little more of that, and some Luke &amp; Lorelai talkage too!**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 11

When Rory told Jess the strange news that her mother was engaged to his uncle that he barely remembered, she expected some kind of reaction. Shock, surprise, astonishment, these were the kinds of things she thought she would get from him. His actual reaction was surprisingly calm.

"Huh," said Jess, frowning slightly, and that was that.

"That's it?" asked Rory, shaking her head. "That's your entire response?"

"I don't know, what else did you want me to say?" he shrugged. "I mean it's a pretty crazy coincidence, I'll give you that, but it doesn't really make me want to leap for joy or put my fist through a wall or anything."

Rory was amazed. This man who she felt she had come to know so well in just a short time, that she had shared the most intimate of days with. He was passionate and intense about almost everything that mattered to him, from his writing, to movies, music and books, to Rory herself. Now she was talking to him about family, something that seemed to have been missing from his life, and Jess seemed to feel nothing. No joy, sadness, or anger, just nothing.

"Well, aren't you curious to meet Luke? Assuming you never met him before..."

"I met him when I was a kid," Jess admitted. "It was a lot of years ago, but I do remember him visiting back then. After a while he stopped coming around, I pretty much forgot he existed," he shrugged. "I guess he forgot about me too."

Rory frowned at that. She couldn't think for a moment that Luke forgot about his nephew, that just wasn't like him. That said, she didn't remember hearing about Jess from Luke. It wasn't a common name, she would have remembered, might even have put together that the author she loved, the man she let into her bed last night, was one and the same as her soon-to-be step-father's nephew. Jess sure didn't seem psyched about meeting his uncle again after many years apart, but Rory supposed she could understand that if he felt like Luke had abandoned him in some way.

"Luke's a good guy," she told Jess then. "I don't know why he stopped coming to see you. Maybe he and your mom had a fight and it got all awkward and rifty," she suggested.

Jess smirked a little at the invented word.

"Probably," he agreed. "Nobody stays happy with Liz too long, she's too flaky for that. Some of the choices she made... It makes sense if Luke just couldn't deal with her anymore. Whatever," he shook his head then. "Doesn't matter to me."

"Well, it matters to me," said Rory definitely, evading when he reached out to pull her close enough to kiss. "Jess, why don't you care about this? My mom and your uncle are getting married in three months."

"Which is great for them, but what does it have to do with me?" he countered. "Rory, I don't know Luke, he doesn't know me. I'm glad he and your mom are happy, that's great, but I'm not a part of that."

His attitude seemed to have changed in an instant and Rory didn't like it one little bit. She was about to say so but the moment she opened her mouth to speak, Jess was swinging his legs out of the bed and pulling on his pants, clearly set on leaving. Rory didn't want him to go, but she also didn't like his attitude about Luke. It wasn't fair on the man she had looked up to like a father all these years, and it didn't feel fair on her either.

"Hey," she said, moving across the bed and putting a hand on Jess' bare shoulder. "Jess, please don't leave like this," she urged him.

A long heavy sigh left his body because Jess knew this wasn't right. He and Rory had been having the best day, better than he remembered having in a very long time, if ever. The mention of his family in any way, shape or form just flipped a switch in his head, made him automatically grumpy and unsettled. Still, that wasn't Rory's fault. A great cosmic coincidence had brought this news to them, and of course she wanted to share it. He turned her and found her looking both worried and adorable, all wrapped up in the comforter still. With a smile he couldn't help, Jess wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, kissing her cheek, her temple, her hair. "I'm just... I'm not good with family. My life has been so much better since I went out on my own, I can't... I'm not saying Luke is a bad guy, I just can't deal with him right now."

Rory pulled back to meet his eyes and gave him a smile.

"Okay," she agreed. "I'm sorry if I upset you, but once Mom told me, I kind of had to tell you. It would've been too weird knowing and not saying anything..."

"It's okay that you told me," Jess assured her, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "But can we maybe just forget you did for a little while, let me get my head around the whole 'family in close proximity' thing before we talk about it anymore?"

"Sure," Rory agreed easily. "I mean, we were having a pretty good day until the phone rang..." she said, fingers tracing down Jess' cheek and neck to make patterns on his bare chest.

"Miss Gilmore, are you trying to seduce me? Again?" he asked her with a wicked smirk.

The way she kissed him then answered his question more perfectly than any words ever could, and the last few minutes were forgotten in an instant.

* * *

"I don't really know what she thinks," said Lorelai with a shake of her head. "I told her Jess was your nephew and that we let her know as soon as we had confirmation. She didn't seem bothered by it exactly. Surprised, obviously, but... I don't know, mostly she just sounded weird. Distracted, y'know?" she explained as best she could.

Luke was trying to concentrate on both what Lorelai was saying to him and the chopping of vegetables for their dinner. It was made harder by the fact that his fiancee now had her arms around him from behind, her head resting between his shoulder blades.

"I'm sure Rory was just surprised," he said definitely. "I mean, of all the people she could meet in New York and the guy she agrees to go to dinner with turns out to be related to me?"

"It is a pretty weird coincidence," said Lorelai, kissing his shoulder as she moved to see what he was doing, stealing a piece of carrot from the chopping board. "I don't know, surprise I get, but Rory is usually focus-girl when it matters, like when she's talking to me. If she's at work when I call, she can be a little vague, but this was different..."

A thought occurred to her then that she almost voiced, but Lorelai clamped her mouth shut the moment she realised who she could be saying it to. Luke would not want to hear what Lorelai was considering, that maybe Jess was in Rory's apartment right now, that maybe he had been there since last night's date. It wasn't exactly Rory-like to leap into bed with a guy she didn't know so well, but Jess seemed to be the exception to almost every rule in the book. He appealed to Rory in ways no other guy ever had, Lorelai knew that for sure. Maybe he had inspired her to get a little crazy and let him into her bed on the second date. Lorelai wasn't worried about it. She knew her kid was smart and would've been both sure and safe about what she was doing. Still, telling Luke that his nephew might've got some with Rory last night probably wasn't a stellar plan, especially when the guy had a knife in his hand.

"I keep thinking maybe it was wrong to tell Rory on the phone like that," he considered then. "I probably should've driven up there, told her myself, explained everything."

"Luke, it'll be fine," Lorelai promised him, her hand on his arm. "Babe, I told Rory who Jess is. She'll tell him the crazy connection tale, they'll talk about it, and then we can take appropriate damage control measures, if required," she explained. "I highly doubt the guy is going to go psycho or anything just 'cause he heard his estranged uncle is Rory's almost-step-father."

Luke knew Lorelai had a point. His problem really wasn't Rory or Jess' reaction to the news they had a connection via him. What worried Luke was how much Jess might be like either of his parents. Liz was such a flake. Luke loved his sister, but the truth of the matter was she hadn't been the world's greatest mother or a faithful partner to the string of men that had gone through her life. Jimmy was just absent for the entirety of Jess' existance, and a complete waste of space before that.

All that Luke knew of his nephew was a pain-in-the-ass kid and a troubled teen he had refused to handle when asked to. He couldn't say for sure what kind of adult Jess had grown up into, and clearly he couldn't be so bad if Rory was happy to date the guy, if he had become some kind of successful author. Still, Luke was sure he wouldn't be happy until he had seen Jess again and confirmed for himself that he was good enough for Rory. He supposed that would be true of any man that wanted to date his little girl, since that was what he always saw her as, but knowing he was Jess' uncle somehow made Luke even more nervous. He only hoped things worked out as well as Lorelai seemed to think they would. Right now, he wasn't so sure.

* * *

It was getting dark outside and Rory and Jess both knew he had to leave. Tomorrow was Monday, a work day, for her at least, and he really needed to get back home where the clean clothes lived.

"Clothes are over-rated," Rory told him saucily, even as Jess got himself dressed in last night's shirt and pants.

"Can't argue with that," he said, turning to gaze at the parts of her own naked form sticking out from under the covers. "But you're not losing your job because of me, which you probably would if you played hooky tomorrow."

"Maybe," she sighed, watching him button his shirt. "Y'know I never have done that, skipped work without a valid reason. I had to be pretty much dying to take a day off school too. Does that make me a goody two shoes?" she asked with a frown.

Jess leaned over to kiss her lips.

"Maybe you are when it comes to work, but trust me, not so much outside of it," he said with a smirk that was irrisistable to Rory.

She grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him to her the moment he tried to get away, kissing him long and hard, letting her arms slide around his body. Jess didn't exactly fight to get away and was practically on top of her in a moment, wanting her like nothing else. Unfortunately, he knew this was a bad idea right now, highly aware of the fact that she really would need sleep before work tomorrow, and that he ought to get some rest itself.

"Definitely not a good girl," he shook his head as he pulled out of her grasp, grinning because he just couldn't help it.

"I used to be," she told him. "You turned me bad, Mariano."

"I'm not going to feel sorry about that," he replied, looking for his jacket and failing to find it.

He wandered out into the living room to look, and Rory followed, wrapping the comforter around her for the sake of not getting cold more than anything else. Today had been so great, as had last night. Rory didn't really mean that Jess had turned her bad, but he sure had caused her to do some pretty crazy things the last couple of weeks. She had told him secrets that her closest friends didn't know, brought him into her bed after just two real dates, and now she would seriously consider blowing off work tomorrow if he said he wanted to stay another night, another day. Jess was like no other guy she ever met, and if Rory didn't know any better, she would say she was falling in love with him already.

Pulling on his jacket, Jess checked he had his keys and then headed towards the door. He turned back before leaving and Rory came over to him, holding the comforter up with one hand, pushing her hair back off her face with the other. She was so beautiful, it was torture to leave, but Jess knew he really had to.

"So, I guess you'll call me? Or I could call you," Rory suggested. "Modern woman right here, no problem with being the one that calls."

Jess smiled and reached for her.

"C'mere," he said, his hands cupping her face as he pulled her close and kissed her, a sweet and unexpectedly chaste moment, but he knew if they started more he might not leave at all. "Call me a caveman if you want, but _I_ will call _you_," he told her softly. "We'll fix up a time to see each other again soon, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded, exhaling heavily. "It's just... I don't know when that'll be. There's a good chance I'm getting sent to Boston this week. I'm trying to get an interview set up with Junot Diaz. Y'know he's already got so many awards for _The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao_, and now people are talking Pulitzer, so it'll be a very big deal if I get it. Anyway, I'm not even sure how long I'd be gone, and then there's the write up time..."

Jess nodded that he understood, finding it adorable as anything that she was rambling again. Still, it was painful to hear that he might not see Rory for at least a week. It was weird but there was a hint of panic in his chest and all Jess could think was that this must be how women felt when a guy spent the night with them and then made excuses that he might be too busy to see her again for a while after. It was a clichéd brush off manoeuvre, but Jess didn't want to think Rory capable of such a thing. If she didn't want to see him again, she would be honest and say so. Jess highly doubted that was the case anyway. As they had established before, Rory just wasn't the type to jump into bed with any guy that came onto her. This thing they had, it had to mean something, or they wouldn't be here right now.

"I should actually drop in on Truncheon sooner rather than later," he admitted. "Chris and Matt have been bugging me about it..." he explained, hating that Philadelphia was in the complete opposite direction to the way Rory was headed. "But we'll talk. Email, call. It's just a few days, right?"

"Right," Rory nodded her agreement, moving in swiftly for another kiss. "A few days," she whispered when they parted. "We can handle that."

"Sure. We got this," he agreed, and yet still they held on to each other. "I really should go," he said again, though his eyes were still fixed on her own.

"You should," said Rory solemnly, but her arms were still locked around his neck, unwilling to set him free.

There was one more long passionate embrace up against the door then that caused Rory to lose the blanket that had been covering her. It took everything Jess had not to pick her up and head straight back to the bedroom already, but one of them had to at least have some self-control.

"Rory," he said, trying desperately to put her at arm's length. "You gotta let me go."

"I know," she agreed, finally releasing him as he gathered up the comforter and wrapped it back around her body, planting one last kiss on her nose before he turned to leave.

Rory watched Jess go with a sigh and then shut the door behind him. She turned her back against the door and tried to catch her breath. A grin came over her face and a blush rose in her cheeks as she recalled the last twenty four hours. It had been pretty crazy, but also amazing at the same time. Spending time with Jess, be it out on a date, in bed, or anywhere at all, was like nothing else she had ever known in her whole life, that was for sure. Maybe it was too soon to be considering a future they could share but Rory knew she wouldn't mind having him around a lot for a long time yet.

Unfortunately, picturing Jess in all parts of her life led Rory to recall his connection to Luke. He sure hadn't seemed happy to hear that his uncle was close by. Rory could understand it. She knew Luke was a good guy but Jess had been let down by family and so-called friends his whole life. It was easy to sympathise with his reflex discomfort and all, given the circumstances. It might make life awkward if they got serious about each other, not that Rory could really say she and Jess weren't already serious, at least from her perspective. Last night and today really had been out-of-this-world amazing. Rory couldn't help the smile that came to her lips as she practically floated back to her bedroom. Everything would work out in the end, she was certain of it.

_To Be Continued..._


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you soooo much for all the wonderful reviews. Your continued feedback and support means a lot to me, you awesome reader-folks! :) I do hope you like this chapter, which is a little different to the others. It takes the form of a series of conversations, by email and phone. Hope you enjoy - please do let me know! :)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 12

_Monday 3rd March 2008 21:38_

Dear Jess,

It's crazy, I've been sitting here on this plane for a solid ten minutes staring at the flashing cursor, wondering what to write. If I was seeing you face to face, it would be so much easier, although remembering the weekend, I'm not so sure there would be a whole lot of talking involved. Not that I regret it for a second, but I still have trouble processing what happened. You make me do crazy things, Jess Mariano, and I kind of like that.

So, are you in Philadelphia yet? I can't believe I'm already on the plane. I came in this morning and the ticket was on my desk, booked for tonight, so here I am. Good thing I didn't play hooky like I wanted to. Maybe you're as much of a good influence as a bad one. Wow, that just makes you an enigma, doesn't it? I don't know how I'm going to explain you to my mom. She called me again today, left a message on my voicemail asking how things were since the whole Luke-is-your-uncle thing. Sorry, I know you don't want to talk about that yet, but it's in my head and I can't help thinking how weird it is, the whole coincidence of it.

Anyway, I don't want this email to get too long. After all, you're probably as busy as I am, either planning your trip to Philly or half way there already. I hope it goes well.

Missing you already,

Rory

* * *

_Tuesday 4th March 2008 00:34_

Rory,

I can't sleep and it's officially your fault. This book I'm working on, I told you how much you inspired the lead character, right? Well, my head is full of you, which in turn gives fuel to the fire when it comes to this new story. I don't know if spending the weekend in your bed made things easier or harder, and no, I'm not changing my wording on point of principle, even though I can picture you blushing right now as you read it.

Good thing I didn't let you keep me in your apartment then, huh? Can't have you missing your important work trip. Just promise me one thing - if this author asks you out to dinner, say no. Did I mention my possessive streak? At this point, I'm not looking to share you with anybody else, okay?

I headed straight out to Philadelphia within an hour of getting back to my apartment. I know that sounds like running from you the second I could get away, but that's not it at all. Weird as it probably sounds, being in the same city as you and not as close as humanly possible felt wrong. I knew you would be busy and then leaving yourself, so I just packed up the car and drove. Matt and Chris had a joint seizure when I showed up so early in the morning, looking like I just rose from the dead. I really should've slept before I drove, but don't worry, I caught up on the Zs since then, which is probably why I'm up past midnight typing like a crazy person. Well, that and the inspiration you give me for this latest book.

Don't worry about bringing up Luke. I get that he's been a big part of your life, and that's great, but he was pretty absent for a lot of mine. If it ever comes up that we need to meet, well, I can handle it, I guess. For now, it's easier not to deal. Call me a coward if you want, but that's how I'm choosing to play this for now.

Don't tell anyone I said this, but I miss you already too. I don't know what you did to me, Gilmore. Feels like I'm being held in thrall or something. Seventeen days since I met you and already you're an addiction. As if I didn't have enough already, but I'd trade all the rest for you. And apparently I'm sappy at twelve thirty at night, who knew? Apparently, I'm also an enigma, and yet, here was me thinking that was you, or maybe you're just a good girl gone bad. I don't think I'll ever figure it out, but I could spend a lot of happy hours trying.

Good luck with the interview, not that you'll need it.

\- J

* * *

_Tuesday 4th March 2008 07:01_

Hi Lane,

So I tried to call you last night but the machine picked up and what I had to say wasn't really for the ears of your husband or worse still the kids. I really hope you still find time to check your email in between diaper changes and bottle feeding!

I'm sure the last time we talked was the day before I was going to interview Jess Mariano. I'll bet by now my mom has showed you the article, but I don't know if she told you anything else about what happened after the interview. Well, the truth is, Jess asked me out. First we went for coffee, a really casual meeting, and then he took me to dinner that weekend. Date One went so well, we fixed another. We caught a movie Saturday night (Jumper - wouldn't recommend it) and went to dinner. Now, this next part you're going to have a hard time believing, but I swear, Lane, it's the whole truth - me and Jess, we had sex.

It wasn't a plan, at least not a solid one, and you know I am so not the kind of person to just jump into bed with a guy. Before this there was only Dean and Logan, nobody else, no one-night stands, nothing. Jess is just different. I can't even explain how he makes me feel. He can be so sweet and somehow so incredibly sexy at the same time. We have everything in common, we talk about everything, and when he kisses me, I swear, I suddenly understand what all the books and movies and songs are talking about. It's amazing.

So Saturday night I invite him up to my place for coffee. We never even got as far as making the coffee and we were in my bedroom and, well, I know you don't need a blow by blow, but it was incredible. He stayed over that night and we spent all of Sunday in bed. Lane, it was just so comfortable and like nothing else I ever experienced. We talked and we laughed, fooled around and everything. It was just so good. I had to tell someone, and I know what you're thinking, why not Lorelai? I wish I could explain that. Well, I guess I can, in a way. One of the reasons is that for all that she's my best friend, she is also my mom and telling her I slept with a guy after two dates is maybe something I couldn't get her approval on. Second reason is a little crazier. Of all the cosmic coincidences in the world, it turns out Jess is Luke's nephew! They haven't seen each other in years and years. Jess was just a little kid and he barely remembers Luke, but isn't that just the craziest thing? I don't know what's going to happen with all of that right now, all I do know is that I may in fact be falling in love with a guy I have known for less than three weeks, and given the email he sent me this morning, I'm pretty sure we're on the same page. I feel equal parts lucky and overwhelmed right now. Please say you're happy for me and don't think I need to be institutionalised?

Gotta run now, interview to get to!

Love to the boys :)

\- Rory

* * *

_Tuesday 4th March 2008 13:21_

Rory,

Oh my God! I cannot believe you slept with Jess Mariano! I mean, I know you went kind of crazy over his book and all, but you had sex with him? After two weeks? Wow. Not that I'm judging. It all sounds like a great whirlwind romance, as if you guys were living in a novel yourselves. I'm almost jealous, or I would be if me and Zach weren't so insanely happy. I'm not denying it's tough with him touring so much and the kids to raise. It's not the life I planned for myself at all, but I'm so, so happy with it, as nuts as that sounds.

But back to you and the enigmatic author. Sounds like he's a really special guy. I know we don't see each other so much these days, but my Rory Gilmore that I've known and loved since kindergarten is not the leap-into-bed-with-the-first-guy-that-asks kind of girl. If Jess got your motor running that fast, he has got to be pretty damn special. He knows his literature, clearly, and he has exceptional taste in women, because he picked you. So far I can't really fault the guy. So long as he continues to treat you right, I'm all for this passionate affair, and from what you said it certainly sounds like it's full of passion!

I can't believe I'm so out of the loop that I didn't hear your new guy is Luke's nephew! Clearly neither Miss Patty or Babette have gotten a hold of this news yet. I'll keep it to myself, I promise. Well, I might tell Zach, but I've trained him to be pretty good with keeping our girly secrets, so it's cool. I have to catch up with Lorelai sometime soon though. I cannot have either of the Gilmore girls holding out on me with this kind of news!

Wish I could write more, but a mother's work is never done and I have to go. It's not long now until you come back to visit, right? I miss you, BFF! And hey, maybe when you come back to the Hollow you can bring the boyfriend along? After all, he must want to come reconnect with a long lost family member, right?

Take care of yourself.

\- Lane

* * *

_Tuesday 4th March 2008 17:12_

Hey Jess,

If it's any consolation, thinking of you kept me awake last night too, and even when I slept you still put in an appearance. You think your wording made me blush? You should've seen the colour of my face when I woke up from that dream, and no, I'm not telling you exactly what happened :P

You do realise how girly I felt when you said you don't want to share me, right? I mean, by rights, I should be angry that you're being so possessive, trying to own me or something. My mom would be totally Women's Lib about it all, well, on the surface anyway. Underneath she's a romantic at heart and would probably find you as sweet as I do. Yes, I know, guys don't like to be called sweet, but you are. If it helps your ego at all, you're also insanely hot and amazing in bed. Yeah, I'm really glad I'm in my hotel room writing this, away from anyone who can see me turning beet red.

Glad you got to Philly okay and finally caught up on your sleep. It's not exactly my fault you were tired. Well, I guess it was in a way, but it's not like you weren't a willing participant. Did you tell the guys why you were so tired? I know you said they were kind of nosey about your private life. Obviously it's your business what you tell them, I just don't want them to think anything bad about me, which is crazy because I don't even know them, but whatever. I can't even explain where I was going with that.

Anyway, I'm headed back to NYC tomorrow. Short trip for me, but the write up of the interview will take some time. This guy wasn't half so forthcoming as you. The interview was painful and the write up will probably be worse. He was a nice enough guy, don't get me wrong, I just think I've been spoilt with you, and now no other authors measure up. (I just heard my mother say 'dirty' in my head - that's too weird! lol)

Speaking of Mom, I haven't talked to her since Sunday. She left me a couple of messages and I feel bad for evading, but I kind of don't know what to say to her. Between acting so un-Rory-like this weekend and the whole you and Luke thing, it just feels awkward. I'm glad you're not mad at me for bringing up Luke before. All I really want to say on the subject is that he is a great guy and I think if you met him (re-met him?) you guys would really hit it off.

Y'know, I can't explain how you and me got to this crazy place after just seventeen days. I never felt like this about a guy before, not this fast, if at all. I mean, I've had guys in my life, two that were pretty serious, like I told you, but it was just different. You're different. I'd explain it if I could but I can't. Just know that it's a good thing. This thing you and me have, it's very, very good.

As for holding you in thrall, I wish I had such powers! Feels a little weird to be called an addiction but I'll take it. I think you're maybe the only person in the world that could make a word like that into a compliment, but that's how I'm taking it, and that's that.

You can be sappy any time of the day or night with me. I'll never mind and I'll never tell.

Call me when you can!

\- Rory

* * *

_Wednesday 5th March 2008 06:31_

"Hello?" said Rory, bleary eyed and barely awake as she took the call on her cell.

"Morning sunshine," said the man on the other end of the line and immediately she was awake.

"Jess? What are you...? What time is it?" she asked, pushing her hair out of her face as she tried to sit up and check her watch on the nightstand simultaneously.

"After six," Jess told her, even as she saw that for herself. "I wasn't sure what time your flight was and I wanted to catch you before you left."

"Is something wrong?" she checked worriedly, wondering why he seemed so desperate to talk like this.

Sat up against the headboard, Rory was instantly concerned, and yet she needn't have been, as Jess soon proved.

"Nothing wrong," he promised. "I was just re-reading your email, trying to reply, and then I realised I could call. I did promise, after all. Besides, I wanted to ask if you know what you're doing Friday night?

"As of this minute, nothing," she replied with a grin. "Of course, that could change, but it's not normal for me to be sent out of town twice in one week, unless something major happens. I could pencil you in at least," she told him with a giggle she couldn't hold in.

"Wow, don't I feel special?" Jess dead-panned, with a smirk she could just hear as he continued. "Well, I was going to offer to make you dinner, but hey, if you think you might get a better offer..?"

"A better offer than a guy cooking me dinner? Couldn't happen."

"Play your cards right, could be breakfast too."

"Mr Mariano, I'm not that kind of girl!" she told him, fake Southern Belle accent and all.

"We both know that's not entirely true," he said in her ear, all joking aside as his tone made her shudder in the best way.

"Jess..."

"Friday night, my place. You in?"

"I'm in."

Rory didn't hesitate in her answer and was grinning when she gave it. Jess could hear that smile and it brought a similar expression to his own face. Suddenly it didn't feel like there were so many miles between him and Rory, and this week was that much more bearable to face now Jess knew another date with his favourite woman was at the end of it. Life was good.

_To Be Continued..._


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Y'all are awesome - you know that, right? Loving all the feedback, thank you so much for that! Now, for some reason, when it comes to this fic, Rory &amp; Jess just can't seem to be in a room together without being all over each other! But nobody here is gonna complain about that, right? ;)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see Chapter 1)**_

Chapter 13

Rory had never been to Jess' apartment before. He sent her his address via email and she recited it from her phone to the cab driver on Friday night to head on over there for dinner. The moment the car started moving, she called ahead with a grin on her face that she couldn't help.

"You have to work, don't you?" asked Jess without preamble the second he answered the phone.

"Would you hate me if I said yes?"

"Never, but I would be very disappointed," he admitted, looking around at the food he'd spent a good while preparing and the table carefully set for a romantic meal.

"Well, luckily you can turn that frown upside down, mister, because I am in a cab and on my way to you."

A smirk formed on Jess' face and grew into a full blown smile without him really meaning for it to happen.

"That's playing dirty, Gilmore, and you will pay."

"I promise to make it up to you. I missed you this week."

"Missed you too," he admitted. "So get your ass over here as fast as the New York traffic allows, okay?"

"Deal," she agreed, asking the cab driver to hurry before she hung up the phone.

Rory watched the lights of the city fly past the window and couldn't keep the grin off her face. She meant what she said about missing Jess. To go from a day spent constantly in his company, alone and naked together in her bed, to five long days without laying eyes on the guy, it was almost too much to bear. Rory had never felt like this about a man before.

Dean was the best when they were teens, and Logan had been fun and exciting when she got older. Rory had been loved and she had loved each of them in return, with real feeling and passion, but what she had found with Jess was so completely different, so indescribably good, and fast too. It still wasn't even a month since they had originally met and yet all Rory could think about was getting to Jess' apartment, talking to him about everything, maybe delaying dinner by having him make love to her the moment she got in the door. Just the thought of that had Rory blushing alone in the back of the cab, but it didn't make it any the less true.

It was strange that as much as she felt for Jess, her mother knew little about any of this. Rory felt bad as well as strange about the fact she hadn't shared with Lorelai, who was as much her best friend as she was her mom. They usually talked about the guys in their lives, always had before, but this was so different, she didn't know where to begin. As much as she had enjoyed it and had no regrets, Rory couldn't exactly count it as her finest hour when she dragged a guy into her bed after two and a half dates. She still wasn't so sure her mom would approve. Then there were the complications that came with Jess being Luke's nephew.

The cab pulled up outside Jess' building and Rory shook her head to bring herself out of too many deep thoughts. She paid the driver and hopped out of the cab with a smile that only grew as she went up the steps and pushed the button for apartment six.

"Hello?" said Jess through the speaker.

"It's Rory," she replied and was immediately buzzed in.

The elevator took her up the necessary two floors in the block that clearly used to be a very stylish and very big house, and when she stepped out onto the landing, there was Jess to greet her.

"Hey, stranger," he smiled, immediately taking her into his arms.

"Hi," she replied, a moment before he kissed her.

All of the breath went out of Rory's body and she couldn't care at all. There was actually a part of her that wondered if she wasn't looking back at the past weekend, or any time spent with Jess, through rose tinted glass. Now with his arms around her and his lips on her own, Rory knew there was no exaggeration of his talents going on in her mind. He really could make her feel this good with just a kiss.

A huge sigh of irritation brought both Rory and Jess back to reality with a bump, the pair of them glancing over to see a bored looking older woman staring at them.

"Sorry, Mrs Adleman," said Jess dutifully, pulling Rory with him away from the entrance to the elevator.

"Kids today, all they think about is sex..." the older lady muttered as she stepped in through the doors and they closed behind her.

"Well, I don't mind that she thinks we're kids," Rory considered, even as she blushed. "Always flattering to be told I look younger than I am."

"And I can't exactly say she was wrong about what was on my mind at least," admitted Jess, meeting Rory's eyes with an intense look the moment she glanced back at him. "C'mon, let's get inside before we're arrested for indecent exposure."

"Good plan," she agreed, following him into the apartment, his hand wrapped tightly around hers.

After what he had told her, Rory half expected Jess' apartment to be kind of a dive. In fact, she found that though it was a little untidy, it was her kind of cluttered. Simple furniture consisted of a couch and small TV, a desk with chair, and a whole lot of bookshelves overflowing with content. At the back of the room, a counter separated off a small area that was clearly the kitchen, and in the other corner a door led to what had to be the bedroom and bathroom.

"I have to check on the food," said Jess, planting one more kiss on Rory's lips before he let her hand slip from his and headed towards the delicious aromas of Italian cooking.

"I love this apartment," she smiled as she looked around.

"What you love is the amount of books in this apartment," he countered, at which Rory laughed.

"Maybe," she admitted. "But the home-made food isn't so bad either," she told him, even as she started to sift through the piles of books that didn't fit on the shelves, before running her finger along the spines of those with real homes. "You have a real library going here. Maybe even more books than I have at my place."

"It's gotta be a close run thing," said Jess as he approached her from behind, catching her around the waist before she even noticed he was there. "You want to borrow anything, you can," he told her easily, planting kisses on her neck.

"Mmm, you're too kind," she told him softly, coherent thought beginning to leave her the moment he pulled her close. "How long 'til dinner's ready?" she asked, turning in his arms to face him.

"Depends," he admitted, between kisses. "It could be ready now, or..."

"Or?" she prompted, the word coming out as no more than a sigh against his lips.

"Or I can turn down the stove, leave it to simmer a while, if you want?" he suggested, one hand sliding lower down her body.

"I want," she agreed, pushing herself further into Jess' arms and kissing him deeply.

Rory came here hungry, but not just for food. This was what she wanted right now, and everything else could wait until later.

* * *

They ought to get up and go eat. Honestly, Rory was kind of hungry for food at this point, all her energy used up in recent activities with Jess. Unfortunately, she seemed to have lost all use of her limbs in the last few moments. Lying here in Jess' arms felt too good to give up for a little while longer, and since he seemed in no hurry to move either, Rory figured it was fine.

The only problem was that when the great-sex-induced fog in her head cleared out, it was replaced by worry. Rory couldn't help it. Thinking about how happy and comfortable she was here with Jess just reminded Rory that she was going to be apart from him for more than a week soon, and he didn't even know about it. She would be at home with her mother, the same person that Rory had uncharacteristically been ducking calls from for several days. The whole thing made her frown so much that Jess couldn't fail to notice.

Pulling her closer, he kissed her shoulder and then met her eyes.

"What's on your mind?"

"My mom," admitted Rory without thinking as Jess' eyes went wide.

"Wow. Mood officially killed," he told her, a smirk coming to his lips as she covered her face with her hand and laughed at her own reply.

"I'm sorry," Rory sighed, turning on her side to face him. "I can't help it, I just... I told you how it is with us. We talk about everything. We're like best friends first, mother and daughter second, which I know probably sounds weird to you, but it's the way it's always been," she explained. "Now this big thing is happening in my life, this new relationship that means a lot to me, and... and it feels strange that she knows so little about it."

"So, why can't you tell her?" asked Jess, feeling lost.

He didn't have any particular problem with Rory telling her mother, her friends, whoever, that they were seeing each other. Jess wasn't in the least bit ashamed of how they got together or anything they had done so far. He kind of hoped Rory wasn't either, and yet something was bothering her. When she looked away with a particular expression on her face that he had seen before, everything clicked into place.

"Because of me and Luke being related," he guessed, though it was really more of a statement than a question.

"Partly," Rory admitted then, nodding her head.

"Why does that matter?"

"Because. Because I know Luke, and I know he probably wants to get to know you again, and I also know you don't want that," she told him, looking pained. "I respect your decision, Jess, of course I do, but it puts me in this awkward position."

"I'm sorry," he offered, because he didn't want her to feel bad.

At the same time, he didn't really see what he could do to help her out. Jess and family just didn't mix, and as much as he cared for Rory, he really wasn't sure he was ready to open a door to a his past that he liked having firmly shut these past few years.

"You don't have to be sorry, Jess," she assured him, her hand turning his face back towards her. "This isn't your fault. It's nobody's fault really, it's just a very weird coincidence."

Jess smiled slightly, turned his head to kiss her palm. Rory was so understanding about his whole family situation, which had to seem weird to someone who was literally best friends with her mother. It made him feel worse about the fact he was inadvertantly putting her in a difficult position, and still he wanted to help Rory feel better about things.

"You said Luke was part of the reason you haven't told your mom all about us," he realised aloud. "What's the other part?"

Rory looked down at her chipped nail polish, made a big deal of pushing her hair off her face. She was playing for time, feeling weird about the answer she had to give, Jess could see that. He was about to prompt her for an answer when she started to finally give one anyway.

"Well, my mom is pretty... progressive, I guess?" she tried to explain. "But as much as we're best friends, I'm still her daughter, so there are different rules and standards for me, in her eyes."

She looked up at Jess then and he slowly shook his head.

"Please tell me this isn't the 'sleeping with a guy on the second date' thing again."

"Sorry, but it kind of is," she said, visibly wincing at her own confession as she watched Jess drop onto his back with some kind of incredulous sigh. "You're not mad at me, right?" she checked.

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because," she said, scooching her body closer to his own, resting her hand on his chest as she leant over him. "It seems like I'm insulting you when I say I feel weird about what we did, what we're doing. It's not that I'm not happy or that I regret anything, Jess, because I really, truly don't," she promised, and when he looked at her, he knew she was telling the truth. "I just... I feel weird about telling my mom."

"Then don't tell her," he shrugged like it was no big deal.

"But I want to talk to her about this stuff."

"Then tell her we're dating but not that we have sex."

"A lie by omission is still a lie."

"Rory!" Jess sighed in exasperation, running a hand over his face. "You're being impossible," he told her, not mad about it so much as frustrated. "Not that I don't love that about you, but I really can't help you if you won't let me," he said, his hand at her cheek.

There was a moment when her eyes widened just a little and Jess replayed his own words inside his head. He had just used the L word, the one neither of them had been brave enough to do anything but skate around from the get go. After all, they had only known each other a little over three weeks, and though their knowledge of each other was intimate in every sense of the word, nobody ever mentioned love, not until now.

"I need to go check on dinner," said Jess quickly.

In a second, he was out of the bed, pulling on his pants and hurrying from the room.

Rory was still trying to process things minutes after he was gone. She pushed her hair back off her forehead with her whole hand and let out a long breath. It was just a figure of speech, what Jess had said. That wasn't him telling her he loved her, not really, not in that way where people fell in love and all, that would be crazy. Rory didn't feel that way about him either, obviously, at least that was what she told herself as she got up and scrabbled around for her underwear and her dress.

Shaking her head, she put aside thoughts of what just happened, concentrating on what she was actually here for, to see Jess, to eat dinner, that was all.

The moment she stepped out of the bedroom and found her boyfriend in the kitchen, stirring delicious-smelling pasta sauce with his well-sculpted upper body on show, it was difficult to concentrate on anything else.

"So, this is how it's done, huh?" she said with a smile, hoping for a jokey tone as she joined him by the stove. "First help me work up an appetite and then feed me the wonderful food?"

"Exactly," Jess agreed, completely straight-faced. "Now you're so hungry you'll be grateful for the food even if it sucks."

"Wow, sneaky," said Rory, as deadpan as he was which made him smirk. "Smells delicious by the way. I know I already said that but it really, really does. I don't exactly get a whole lot of home-cooked food, especially not in New York. When I visit home, I always... Um, well..."

"Luke cooks for you?" said Jess, pretty sure he was right.

If anything made Rory awkward in front of him, it seemed to come back to either her mother or Luke. Since he knew for sure that Lorelai didn't cook any more than Rory did, it had to be his own uncle she wanted to mention but didn't dare.

"He does," she nodded. "This isn't going to get any easier, is it?"

"I don't know," Jess shrugged. "But before we figure that out, you should sit down so we can eat."

Rory nodded her agreement, moved around the counter to sit down at the table that was just about big enough to seat two, and then only if the couple were close. Good thing Rory and Jess were more than comfortable with the physical contact, since she was pretty sure their knees would be touching under the table at the very least.

Pouring herself a glass of wine, and one for Jess besides, Rory killed time whilst Jess put his delicious home-made pasta onto two plates and excused himself briefly to put on a shirt too. She was smiling genuinely when her food was put before her and Jess joined her at the table.

They ate in relative silence, punctuated only by Rory's further compliments on the food, and certain appreciative noises she made that had Jess wanting very badly to take her back to bed already. Still, as time wore on, he realised that she was maybe giving just a little too much attention to her food. They spoke a little between mouthfuls as she told him she got her article finished and he mentioned how he had gone back and rewritten some of his book as a new idea had come to him. Rory wasn't being herself though, Jess could see it. Something was on her mind, something she dare not say, and it didn't take a genius to realise it had to do with her mother and his uncle. Plates cleared and more compliments given, Rory offered to do the dishes and rose from her chair. Jess' hand on her wrist stopped her escape and she looked at him with a look of fake confusion.

"You're not dumb, Rory," he told her. "And neither am I, so let's just talk about whatever it is that's on your mind. I know it either has to be how to tell your mom about us or the whole connection between me and Luke. I don't want either thing to come between us, but if it's going to be a big problem for you..."

"It's not," she insisted. "Or it is, but... Well, there's something I didn't tell you yet"

"Geez, you don't know my mother too, do you?" he checked, only half-joking.

Rory shook her head.

"No, definitely not," she promised him, knowing she had never met Luke's sister at all. "What I haven't gotten around to telling you is that this time next week, I'll be back home, in Stars Hollow," she explained, eyes more on the table than on Jess right now. "I have a few vacation days, only a week, but I've been wanting to get back there for a while. I need to see my mom, Luke, Lane, all my friends and neighbours."

"Why are you telling me this like you expect me to explode or something?" he asked, tiling his head as he stared at her. "Ror, you want to see your folks and you're taking a vacation to do that. I'm not gonna deny, I'll miss you, but it's not the end of the world, right?"

"No, it's not," she agreed. "And obviously, I'll miss you too, which is why I had this crazy thought which I was going to share with you, although I realise now that maybe crazy isn't even an appropriate adjective. Most likely I'd be better with ridiculous or absolutely insane. If Paris were here, she could probably give you a full thesaurus-style run-down but..."

"Rory," Jess interrupted her with a firm tone as his hand covered hers on the table, making her meet his eyes.

"I was going to ask you to come with me," she suddenly admitted. "Which, like I said, is completely crazy, but I was just thinking we wouldn't have to miss each other, and you could meet Luke, if you wanted, but I know you probably don't, hence the crazy..."

"Hey," he cut in again, knowing that was the only way he was going to be part of this conversation. "Y'know sometimes it's nice if you let a second person join in the talk you're having with yourself on their behalf?" he smirked.

Rory laughed at herself, covering her face with her free hand for a moment.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Jess assured her, squeezing her hand. "And if you really want me to come to Stars Hollow, I guess that'd be okay."

"Really?" asked Rory, eyes wide with the surprise of the offer.

"I said it, didn't I?" he shrugged easily, glad he had made the effort when suddenly he found his lap was full of Rory, her lips against his own in a searing kiss.

Jess wasn't exactly in a position he wanted to argue with as Rory's fingers tangled in the hair at his nape and she shifted her body as close as possible on the chair. His hand ran up her thigh and she didn't make a move to stop him.

"You sure you want to go in this direction?" he mumbled against her lips. "I made tiramisu for dessert."

Rory pulled back so suddenly she nearly pitched the pair of them off the chair. There was a very definite battle going on behind her eyes that was almost amusing for Jess to see as he realised she was giving genuine and serious thought to the dessert vs. sex argument.

"There could be a third option," he told her after a full minute, watching her amusing contemplation fade into slightly-scandalised delight. "Option three it is," he agreed with a single nod, kissing her once more even as he lifted her off his lap and back onto her feet.

Rory headed for the bedroom, whilst Jess swung by the kitchen, grabbing the dessert dish from the refrigerator and then following the woman of his dreams into a fantasy.

_To Be Continued..._


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Fairly long chapter, so I hope y'all enjoy it! A Rory/Jess day in New York and then a proper Rory &amp; Lorelai chat that they've been needing to have for a while. Buckle up, kids, Mama's puttin' the hammer down ;)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 14

"Okay, I'll admit it, this was worth getting out of bed for."

Rory was smiling brighter than the sun and Jess didn't think there was ever a more perfect sight to see than those blue eyes of hers alive with the joy of living. They were having a really great day, in spite of the fact it had not gone in the direction Rory expected at all. Though they hadn't slept a whole lot last night, instead just enjoying the thrill of being each other's drug of choice, Jess was still awake early. He had learnt to function on the craziest sleep patterns since he started writing. An idea would wake him up at midnight or exhaustion would send him to sleep at three in the afternoon. Getting up early for a good cause was easy enough for him. For Rory, it was a much tougher ask.

Jess plied her with eggs and bacon, food he had bought especially because she was coming over. The dinner he cooked was something he would never have bothered to do for himself, but when there was someone to make an effort for it was totally worth it. Rory was totally worth it. She was sat up in his bed this morning, happily munching her way through more food than he'd ever seen go into a woman that didn't weigh three hundred pounds. She blushed when she caught him staring and explained all over again about the amazing metabolism she and her mom shared.

"When I see her for myself, I guess I'll be the judge of that," said Jess with a smile and Rory had kissed him like he'd just proposed or something,

Jess knew it was a big deal to her that he had agreed to go to Stars Hollow next week. Honestly, he wasn't convinced it was his greatest idea ever, but it might be okay yet. For today at least, Jess chose not to think about it too much, and Rory wasn't given the chance to either. When their kissing started turning to more, and coffee accidentally spilt on the sheets, Jess told her not to worry about it.

"We're not staying here all day anyway."

"We're not?" she asked with a slight frown. "Is this about to get a little kinky?" she checked, astonishing him just a little bit.

The girl who didn't want her mom to know she put out on the second date and blushed when he told her she was beautiful just said the word 'kinky'. Honestly, Jess was quite prepared to write off the plan he had actually made in favour of taking her up on what he saw as an entirely good offer. The only problem with that was that she was probably only joking.

"Well, I seem to recall promising to show you a different kind of good time," he said, tilting his head as he stared at her. "You still want the full New York tour from the true New Yorker?"

"Really, really do!" Rory told him, making the bed bounce with her excitement.

Jess laughed because he couldn't help it. She could be so sexy in one moment and such a child in the next. It was one of a long list of things he loved about her. When the word came to mind this time it sent a shiver down his spine, but he kept the thought in his head and made sure not to speak it aloud this time around. This wasn't the moment, and Jess didn't know if and when he would ever find it, but so far it hadn't come up.

Since Rory had come over to his place in a dress and heels that were not really suitable for trekking all over the city, the first stop was at her place so she could change. To Jess, she was as beautiful in jeans and a T-shirt as she was in any little black number. With her comfortable shoes on and her hair brushed out, she emerged from her room ready to hit the town.

"Okay, I am all yours," she told Jess happily. "Show me your city."

"As you wish," he replied, kissing her lips before taking hold of her hand and leading her out of the apartment.

It wasn't a normal kind of a sight-seeing tour. Rory had long ago seen the big sights that everybody knew, what she wanted was the unknown places, Jess' favourites spots that would mean little or nothing to anybody else. He sure had shown her plenty. By the time they had hit three bookstores, two record shops, a diner, a cafe, and a whole host of other spots, each with its own story in Jess' own personal history, it was pitch black everywhere that an electric light didn't shine. Still the streets were full of people in the city that never sleeps, and Rory was as awake as she had ever been despite the ridiculous hour and astonishingly early start.

"This has been the best day!" she exclaimed happily, bounding around Jess like Tigger on speed.

"Really?" he checked. "Better than this time last week?" he asked, one eyebrow raised as he caught her in his arms and held on tight.

Rory blushed terribly but didn't look away.

"Since both awesome days involve you, I think I'm safe in saying it's a pretty close contest," she told him with a grin.

"I think so," he agreed, kissing her lips.

It really had been kind of a great day. Jess had his favourite haunts and all, but nobody to really share them with. When Matt and Chris had come visiting before, he had taken them to an eatery of his choosing or shown them a couple of book stores that he thought would make good contacts for Truncheon, but that was all. Having Rory here wanting to know everything, see all the places that mattered to him and get so excited by them was something else. She got why it was awesome to find a record store run by a guy who was a walking encyclopaedia for every punk, rock, and garage band that ever put out an album. She enthused alongside him about a hole in the wall cafe that seated six or less but prided itself on its ethical sourcing and home-made Danishes.

"I am so happy you decided to come to Stars Hollow with me next weekend," said Rory as she and Jess parted from their kiss. "I know it won't be quite so exciting and it definitely won't take all day, but I can return the favour and show you all my favourite places in my town," she smiled widely.

"Sounds good," he nodded, pushing her hair out of her face. "You're beautiful, y'know?"

"Well, it's dark out. Most people would look good in this lighting," she dead-panned, unable to take a compliment as ever.

"One day I'm going to say something nice to you and you're going to just accept it without the clever quip or whatever," Jess rolled his eyes.

"Doubtful," she replied, keeping a hold of his hand even as she turned out of his arms and they set off walking again. "I can't help it, I've never been good with compliments. It's not like you're much better anyway, Mr Big Star Author who never wanted anyone to know what he looked like. Hell, if people knew you were this hot as well as smart, well, then I guess I'd be doing a lot of eye scratching and hair pulling or something."

"Really?" he checked with an eyebrow raised, amused by the imagery.

"You think I'm letting some other woman swoop in and take you from me then you're a crazy person," she said awfully seriously for someone who wanted to seem like she was joking, at least Jess assumed that was what Rory wanted him to think.

Three words came to mind when he stared at her then, and they were so close to making it out of his mouth he could taste the flavour of them on his tongue. It made sense to say it if it was what he felt. She seemed to be in this for the long haul and as crazy as it sounded, Jess knew he was too. Rory was special, different to any other woman he ever met. The first woman he ever thought seriously about making a commitment to, changing parts of his life to accommodate her.

"What?" she asked, staring up at him as he stared back at her.

Jess shook his head almost imperceptibly, and then staggered as he ran into somebody coming the other way down the street. He was muttering apologies even as the woman swore colourfully at him for not looking where he was going and flipped him off for good measure before she disappeared around the corner.

"Wow. Rude, much?" said Rory crossly, and Jess knew the moment was gone.

It didn't really matter. This day had been something else, proof if proof were needed that what he and Rory had was real. They could spend a day in bed or a day out on the town and they were equally as comfortable with either. Just being around Rory made Jess happy in a way he never thought possible. He thought nothing would beat the freedom of the city or completing a book that people actually wanted to read, but now he knew he had found it. Everything was better when Rory Gilmore was there with him. From the way she was looking at him right now, Jess would swear she thought the exact same thing about him. Nothing could be better than that.

* * *

Rory opted to go home after Jess finished showing her all the great sights of the city that tourists and such would never find. He gave her the choice and though it was tempting to head back to his place for another night of pleasure, Rory knew she would just end up staying with him all weekend, and that was no good. There was stuff she needed to organise for work, get a head start since she was now six days away from an entire week away. Besides, she owed her mother a phone call that was very much overdue. She and Jess promised to call and email during the week, set up the details for their Stars Hollow trip on Friday. That was one more thing Rory also needed to tell Lorelai about really.

Sat on the couch with her legs pulled up under her and a steaming mug of coffee on the table, Rory dialled her mother's number and waited for a reply.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted her the moment she spoke.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Lorelai dead-panned. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I had a daughter but it's been so long since I heard from her, I was starting to wonder if she still cared at all."

"I'm so sorry," said Rory quickly. "Really, Mom, I am. Things have been crazy..."

"Hey, hey, it's fine," she interrupted then. "Babe, I'm just teasing. I mean, yeah, it's always disappointing not to hear from you for a few days, but I get that you're busy with work and all."

"I was. I am," Rory confirmed. "But... Well, other things have been taking my time too."

"Jess-shaped things?" asked Lorelai with a smile her daughter could hear.

"Maybe," she confirmed with a grin of her own. "It's going really well."

"That's great, hon," her mom assured her. "I'm happy for you. I mean, Luke was a little worried. Not wanting to go putting my foot in my mouth or anything, but apparently there were some issues when dear nephew Jess was a kid. I know he's all grown up now and from the stuff you told me he's really, really great, but you know how Luke worries."

"I know," Rory agreed. "And Jess told me he wasn't always the most together kid, that things with him and his mom were bad and... Well, it was a while ago now. He really is a great guy, Mom, I swear."

"I believe you," Lorelai promised. "Honey, you know I trust your judgement. There's no way you would be so giddy over this guy if he was rotten. I told Luke this, I honestly did, and hey, you can tell him too when you come to visit."

Rory opened her mouth to say she was bringing Jess home but somehow she couldn't quite do it yet. She wanted to tell Lorelai the truth about the nature of her relationship with her new boyfriend first but that seemed too hard to mention at this point also. Instead she asked how everything was in town, how the diner and the inn were going along, that kind of thing. It was a good hour later that a brief lull in the conversation gave Rory an opportunity to get back to her uncomfortable topics. She had to face them at some point.

"Mom?" she said clearing her throat. "Er, what's the shortest amount of time between you meeting a guy and... and spending the night with him?" she forced out at last.

"Oh, um. Well..."

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make you feel awkward."

Lorelai seemed to shake herself before she spoke again.

"Hey, babe, you and me, we talk about everything, and I have no problem with that," she promised Rory. "I mean, there's plenty I don't tell you about me and Luke in the whole 'sleeping with' department because I don't wanna squick you out."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, but you can always ask me any question in the world that you want to and I will always answer as honestly as I can," she promised.

"Okay," Rory nodded once, though nobody was there to see her do it. "Well, I'm asking, about the time lapse thing."

"Yeah, I get that," said Lorelai, floundering just slightly. "Um, well, I guess if I'm being entirely truthful, I did sleep with one guy on the first date," she revealed. "Actually, I slept with Luke on the first official date, but we had known each other way longer than that. But yeah, one guy was sufficiently hot and convincing that I leapt right on in that first night."

"Huh," said Rory with evident surprise, but not enough to really throw her off for long. "Did you regret it?"

"Yes and no," said her mother honestly. "I mean, he wasn't my soul-mate or anything, obviously, but he was a good guy, we had fun. He made me feel better about myself at a time when I was a kinda down," she explained. "It wasn't a great romance but we parted on good terms, so no, I don't think it was a mistake exactly. Why the question, hon?" she asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew after their earlier talk about Rory's latest guy. "Are you and Jess getting close to being close?"

"Um, well, yes and no," said Rory awkwardly. "In that we were already close. Very close. A lot of times."

"Wow," said Lorelai, leaving a long pause before adding. "Okay then."

"I know, you're shocked," said Rory quickly, hoping her mom also wasn't too bitterly disappointed in her.

"No, not shocked," Lorelai confirmed. "Surprised, sure, but... Wow. I'm sorry, Rory, I'm being really uncool about this," she apologised. "You're a grown woman and you felt ready for that leap, obviously, so you took it."

"Yup," confirmed Rory, popping the p. "After the second date," she confessed, not quite ready for the explosion that followed.

"I knew it!"

"What?"

"Well, I didn't know it, know it, but I knew it," Lorelai explained herself very badly and with as many words as possible, as was the Gilmore way. "When I called you that next day and told you about the Luke and Jess connection, you sounded weird, distracted kinda? I did think maybe the guy was there."

"He was," Rory admitted, blushing furiously in spite of her mother not even being within ten miles of her. "I don't even know how it happened exactly, it just did, and I'm not sorry, Mom. I kind of feel like I should be, but I'm not."

"Honey, like I said, you're a grown woman and Jess is a grown man," said Lorelai with genuine understanding. "You're both consenting adults who clearly like each other a lot, and knowing you I know you were safe and everything, so it's really not such a big deal."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory smiled, wishing she could be getting a hug with her mother right about now - less than a week and she could.

"No problem, kid," she assured her, despite making a big deal of the fact her baby was a woman just moments before. "So, is he good?"

"Mom!" gasped Rory in evident shock, but Lorelai only laughed.

"What? You're telling me you've been having all of the sex lately and I'm not allowed to ask if it was good? Sex with Luke is great."

"Mom!"

"I'm sorry!" she laughed all the harder, knowing how annoying she was being, as well as how freaked out Rory would be at hearing that Luke was good in the sack. "Just trying to even out the sharing."

"Well, please, don't!" her daughter begged her, before confessing; "but yes, he is good. Jess is... He's very, very good."

"Then congrats, sister-friend," said Lorelai with a grin she couldn't help.

It ought to be weird hearing that her baby girl was having good sex, but it kind of wasn't at the same time. Rory was all grown up and had been for a while now. This was the third guy she had let into her bed since she was a teen, and Lorelai was actually just grateful that the number wasn't bigger, and that Rory was always safe and sensible when it came to getting close with guys.

"Me and Jess... it's not just the sex, y'know?" Rory continued then. "I mean, you know I was never the girl that was looking for that kind of relationship. With Jess, everything is good. It's intense and beautiful and... and we connect on so many levels. I just feel like I've known him forever, and that I want to know him forever."

Lorelai smiled widely at the description. What Rory was describing was pretty amazing and very rare to find. A guy that you could feel that connected with, where every part of the relationship was so overwhelmingly perfect. Those didn't come along every day, far from it. If Lorelai didn't know any better, she would say her daughter was in love.

"Wow. You really got it bad, kid."

"Maybe," she admitted. "I kind of think maybe Jess has too. I went over to his place for dinner Friday night, and we were just talking. Actually, I was rambling..."

"You are the queen of rambleland."

"Exactly, and then Jess says 'not that I don't love that about you.' Then I think my brain melted," she admitted with a giggle.

"Ooh, the big L word, huh?" said Lorelai, intrigued and delighted to hear such a thing.

"I don't think it was a conscious thing," said Rory bashfully. "He looked pretty freaked out about the fact he even said it himself, and we didn't talk about it again after that, but he said it."

"If he said it, he must've meant it," considered Lorelai. "And what about you, hon? You feeling the lurve?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "Sometimes I think so, and then I think it's way too soon for me to really know if that's what it is. I mean, we have everything in common, and spending time with Jess is... I don't know, he just makes me happy. I feel like I can talk to him about anything and he gets it, and then he kisses me and the world goes away. I don't think I ever felt like this before, and a part of me thinks it has to be serious, it has to be love, right? But what if I'm wrong?"

"Oh, babe, I don't know what to say to that," Lorelai admitted. "I mean, it'd be impossible for me to say what you or Jess are feeling. I haven't seen you together. Hell, I've never even met Jess."

"You want to?" asked Rory fast before her nerve went. "I mean, um, well I might've kinda invited him to come home with me next weekend to visit," she admitted in a rush. "You're not mad are you?"

Lorelai felt a slight pang of disappointment. She had made such plans for Rory's vacation in the Hollow, time to be spent with her and Luke as a family, and also lots of girly alone time too. If Jess were to come along, it was likely much of that was not going to happen. At the same time, meeting the infamous boyfriend of her daughter and nephew of her fiancé, it was something Lorelai did not want to miss out on at all.

"Babe, why would I be mad?" she asked then. "So long as you plan to spend at least a little time with your old lady of a mother..."

"Lots of time, I swear!" Rory promised. "Except you are so not even close to being an old lady! Jess doesn't want to come between us, Mom, never. It's just I thought it'd be good for him to meet Luke, and you, and I want to show him my town like he showed me his this weekend. It made sense in my head."

"It does make sense, hon," Lorelai assured her. "Jess is very welcome in our home, I promise you. I'm already looking forward to meeting him."

Rory grinned wide at hearing that. This conversation had gone much better than she ever thought it might. Perhaps she ought to have known that Lorelai would be cool about both the sex and the extra visitor in the Hollow next week. She was always cool about everything, give or take. Now Rory was looking forward to her vacation more than ever, and it was barely five days away!

_To Be Continued..._


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I sincerely apologise for leaving this fic two weeks without an update. I seriously do not know how that happened, save to say that I have been so incredibly busy, it's not even funny! Too much work, too many fics being juggled, not enough time. Forgive me, folks? Please?**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 15

"There's a chance that I'm an idiot," said Jess the moment Chris picked up the phone.

"Jess?" his friend checked.

"Yeah, it's me," he confirmed with a sigh. "I think I lost my mind somewhere between that interview I did for the paper and here."

"The interview with Rory?" his friend smiled, and Jess knew the grin was there even if he couldn't see it. "You've fallen for her, huh?"

"Fallen?" Jess echoed, sounding amused, and yet within a second he was serious. "Man, I have this horrible feeling the falling started the second I met her. I mean, how did this even happen to me? I'm not a romantic."

"Dude, you are _so_ a romantic!" his friend argued. "Okay, so you haven't had a long term relationship before, but that doesn't prove anything."

Jess wanted to laugh, and at the same time scream in frustration. He really did think maybe he had gone crazy right around the time he met Rory Gilmore. It wasn't that he considered himself foolish for being attracted to her. She was obviously beautiful, great sense of humour, intelligent as anything, fun to be around, and that was leaving out how smoking hot she was, of course. Any guy would be an idiot if they weren't attracted to her, but this was way more than a simple base urge or wanting a friend to hang out with.

Twice he had caught himself in the area of a very scary L word, and Jess didn't know what to do with that. He could count on one hand all the people he had spoken of love to. One was his mother when he was a little kid, and another was some girl named Darcy in the fifth grade who he had convinced himself he was in love with. Since then, he was ashamed to say he told at least a couple of women he loved them because they said it first and it was one of those heat of the moment things as they fell into her bedroom or similar. Never had Jess Mariano told a woman he was in love with her and meant it from the bottom of his heart. He had a weird feeling he was nearing the first and only time, and it was not something he could deal with alone, hence the phone call to Philly.

"Rory's like nobody else I ever met, man," he told Chris openly. "I can't... I can't explain what it's like. I mean, I've known her, what? A month? It feels like forever. Like she's always been there and if she stopped being there, I... I'd stop breathing or something."

"And he says he's not a romantic," Chris tutted to an audience they didn't have.

At most, Matt was trying to listen in, but Jess knew he wasn't because by now that guy would have a comment to make on this subject, and it would probably be dumb.

"Shut up!" he told Chris anyway. "Between Matthew and his poets, and you being 'in love' with just about every chick with a pulse, it's amazing to me that I'm the first one to actually be in a situation where I'm... Chris, I think I agreed to meet her mother already."

A low whistle sprang from his friend's lips and Jess covered his face with his free hand. He had no idea how this happened, how Rory Gilmore had him wrapped around her finger already. He was so whipped, and the worst part was, he kind of loved it. He kind of loved her, and that sounded insane even inside of his own head. Verbalising that had to be a bad thing, he knew that for sure. So many relationships that he had seen pass through his life, his friends and their dates, his mother and her many husbands and partners. Saying 'I love you' didn't always make things forever, or even until next week in some cases. Putting your heart out on the line like that, it just made you an idiot, or so Jess had always assumed. Now there was this nagging feeling in the back of his brain, pulling him towards that point where he told Rory she was his world, his everything, that he loved her with everything he had and didn't know how to stop. Hell, maybe he was a romantic, or maybe he hit his head without noticing and this was all a really intense and somewhat erotic coma dream that he would be strangely sad to wake up from. Something weird was definitely happened to him these last few weeks. Jess only wished he knew what the hell he was doing.

"Is that Jess?" asked a voice in the background, and then Chris was heard telling Matt what had been said so far.

He didn't even bother to cover the mouthpiece and so Jess heard everything, a none too flattering but entirely accurate description of his situation with Rory, from the point of view of a guy friend. He couldn't really expect anything else.

"Jess, my man!" said Matt, clearly having grabbed the phone from Chris' hand without a moment's pause. "So, you and Rory, it's the real deal, huh?"

"Hello, Matthew," he greeted him without any of the excitement Matt himself seemed to be feeling. "How's business?"

"Don't be a jerk," he countered. "You called to talk about Rory, now talk. It's love, right?"

"Seriously, man, this is like a sickness. You need a girlfriend of your own."

"So Rory is your _girlfriend_?" he said with an emphasis that Jess didn't care for, since it made his friend sound like a twelve year old girl at a slumber party and that was just embarrassing for everybody. "Wow, I don't think I ever heard you use that word before. Jess has a _girlfriend_."

"Put Chris back on the phone!" he snapped, even though he couldn't keep the smirk off his lips at the descriptor given so freely to Rory.

"Sorry about him," said Chris just as soon as he got the handset back from his friend. "I'll throw a stick and maybe he'll fetch instead of humping the furniture," he said of Matt. "You're not wrong about him needing a woman of his own... or just a hobby actually. So, you're meeting the mother?"

"Lorelai, yeah," Jess nodded pointlessly, rubbing his forehead with his hand, wondering why he was doing any of this really. "Rory's headed to the homestead on Friday for a week and she wants to take me with her."

"Serious business."

"More than you know," said Jess, pushing on with the truthfest. "So it turns out that my uncle Luke, who by the way I haven't seen since I was maybe eight, is marrying Lorelai."

"Your uncle and Rory's mom?" Chris checked, sounding suitably astounded.

"Yep."

"And you guys didn't know that you were almost related?"

"We're not related, dumbass!" his friend told him crossly. "Even after they get married, we're only, like, cousin-in-laws or something. That's not even a thing."

"Lucky for you, since you're so in lurve," said Chris, sounding a little too much like Matt to Jess' ears.

"I'm hanging up now," he dead-panned.

"No, Jess, seriously," Chris cut in. "Man, if you're happy with this woman, you know we're happy for you. Our little Jess, all grown up and in a serious adult relationship."

"Apparently," he smirked, because it really did sound so stupid.

"I mean, when we say adult... I'm not trying to be crass here, about the woman you love and all, but you and she... you've..."

"Yes, Christopher, she and I have," said Jess, rolling his eyes and sure that Chris would know it even if he couldn't see him. "Not that it's any of your business. You do know it's not all about that, right, man?"

"Dude, obviously," he agreed. "I mean, that's great when it's what you need, but this is different. This is finding that one person that's just... forever, right?"

Jess started at the use of that word.

"Forever's a long time," he said aloud, knowing he had heard plenty of people in the past profess to being in love and committing forever, only for the whole thing to fall apart within a month. "But yeah, could be," he confessed anyway.

If anybody in his life was going to be a permanent fixture, he had to think it would be Rory Gilmore, as nutty as it was to be thinking this after only a month of knowing her.

"Don't screw it up, Jess," said Chris seriously.

"Not plannin' on it," he confirmed, shaking his head. "Seriously though, business is good?"

"Business is good," his friend agreed, the both of them grateful for the subject change if they were honest, and yet Chris couldn't quite let it go. "Y'know next time you come check in with us, maybe you could bring Rory along. I'd love to meet the woman who tamed Jess Mariano."

"Maybe sometime. One trip at a time."

"Good luck with that. You give good parent, right?"

"Good question," Jess considered. "This is the first one I met. Of a woman I'm dating, I mean. And then there's her almost-step-father who is my blood uncle..."

"Twisted."

"Not helping."

"Sorry," he apologised. "But hey, good luck, man."

"Thanks, Chris," he smiled at that. "Anyway, you should go. Take Matty for a walk before he tears up the couch or pees in your favourite shoes."

Chris laughed at that one.

"Take it easy, Jess."

They hung up from their call then and Jess leaned back in his chair, stretching out his body. He had been up half the night writing and then still couldn't find peace of mind enough to sleep. He kept thinking about Rory and their planned trip to Stars Hollow. She had emailed him earlier telling him what time she would be out of work, and how she just had to change and pick up her bags then they could go. He replied and they made their arrangements to head off to Connecticut together. It felt weird, planning a trip away with a woman that was more than a impromptu dirty weekend, no strings attached. This whole thing with Rory had so many strings that Jess had lost count, but he didn't feel like running. For maybe the first time in his life, the idea of staying forever felt really, really good.

"Forever's a long time," he repeated words already spoken on the phone to Chris a while before.

Sitting up to the desk again he typed the same line onto the open page, and so the next chapter had begun.

* * *

"So, now it's official. I'm engaged," said Paris with a smile that Rory could hear.

"Wow. I am so happy for you," she told her, wearing a grin of her own. "Seriously, Paris, I think it's amazing that you guys have made it work all these years and now you're talking about getting married. You're gonna be Mrs McMaster!" she enthused.

"I don't know about that," said Paris then. "I mean, the whole taking of the husband's name thing is so archaic and demeaning. I worked hard to be worthy of my family name, building up my reputation. I was going to be Dr Geller and make my father proud. Dr McMaster just isn't going to cut it. You think Doyle would mind me retaining my name for professional purposes?"

"I don't really think you're going to give him a choice in the matter," said Rory honestly. "But if you did, he'd probably still think it was fine. Paris, the guy is stone in love with you. He asked you to marry him, for God's sake. Pretty sure if he hasn't gone crazy being around you by now, he's probably staying for the long haul."

Paris laughed a little at that too.

"And what about you, Gilmore?" she asked after a short pause. "You still hung up on the author?"

"I'm still seeing Jess, yeah," she confessed. "I know it's only been a month but it's going really, really well."

"Damn it, you had sex with him already!" exclaimed Paris, making Rory's eyes go wide though she couldn't have known it via the phone. "Wow. I mean, I'm not judging, a woman makes these decisions for herself and this is the twenty first century, but you were always such a goody two shoes about the whole thing. Good grief, even _I_ lost my virginity before you did."

"Yes, I remember the meltdown that followed," said Rory, glad to share the embarrassment to some degree. "And if I knew what it was about Jess that made this all happen so fast, I would tell you. The truth is, he's like no other guy I ever met. It feels right to be with him."

"It's a good feeling, isn't it?" said Paris, sounding softer and more genuine than she had in a long time.

"Really is," agreed Rory, knowing now that this was serious.

If she and Jess were on the same path as Paris and Doyle or her mom and Luke then it was definitely serious. Engagements and marriage talk ought to be a long way off for two people who had only been seeing each other a few weeks, but then Rory knew sometimes it could happen that fast. Whirlwind romances didn't just exist in books and in the movies. Sometimes people in real life just got that lucky.

"I'm taking Jess home with me next weekend, to Stars Hollow," she confessed, wondering what Paris' reaction might be.

"Wow. That's pretty huge," her friend agreed.

"Get's more huge," Rory confessed. "Turn's out Luke, my Mom's fiancé Luke, is Jess' uncle. I mean, the odds on that have to be huge, right?"

"I would say so. I guess it makes a good case for fate and destiny though," Paris considered. "I mean, look at it this way, if you hadn't met Jess from the interview, you probably would've done so eventually via his uncle. Maybe at Lorelai's wedding or some other function later. Something to think about."

Rory hadn't looked at the situation that way before, that she and Jess probably had more opportunities to cross paths than she ever considered. Maybe they were fated to be together, though she had a feeling if she suggested that to Jess he might laugh. It was quite surprising that Paris had said it was a possibility, but she had started believing in such things a little more since Doyle came along.

"Well, fated or not, I'm happy, for myself and for you," Rory told Paris then.

"Me too, for the both of us," her friend agreed, because there was simply no reason not to.

_To Be Continued..._


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Apparently my not updating for two weeks led to at least two people re-reading all of what came before in this story! Wow. I feel very flattered by that actually. Anywho, Rory &amp; Jess are about to head off to the Hollow! Everybody packed and ready? Yes? Then here we go!**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 16

"And I'm done!" said Rory more to herself than anyone else.

She had sent off her last article for this week and now she was done with work and able to escape off to her home town of Stars Hollow. The grin on her face was a mile wide as she shut down the computer and grabbed up her jacket and purse. It wasn't that she didn't love her job because Rory absolutely did, it was just that it had been way too long since she saw her family and friends, the place that would always be home to her no matter how long she lived in NYC. As an added bonus, she was not headed home alone but taking along her boyfriend. It still felt strange to be able to use that word again, and for the most amazing guy she ever met.

Rory had her cell phone in her hand as she went down in the elevator and wasn't surprised to feel it buzz with the signal for a text message. She smiled as she read the words her mother had written.

_'My baby girl is coming home! Can't wait to see you, sweets.'_

Rory immediately wrote back saying she and Jess would be in the Hollow within a couple of hours, God willing. She had intended to hop on a bus like usual when headed home, but just as soon as she started making plans with Jess, he insisted he would drive them. He used the public transportation in the city because it was easiest way to get around, but he kept a car for his regular trips to Philly and such. He had no problem driving himself and Rory into Stars Hollow, though he freely admitted he had no idea where exactly it was.

"I can be navigator, no problem," Rory had assured him. "And I can absolutely chip in for gas money."

"Like I'm going to let you do that," Jess rolled his eyes and kissed her lips. "Chivalry's not dead yet, Ror."

With her man on her mind, Rory wasted no time in texting him too. She wandered out of the doors, not giving any thought to where she was going as her thumbs tapped out the text to Jess. She ploughed right into someone and immediately looked up with an apology on her lips.

"I'm sorry, I... Jess!" she grinned at the sight of him, flinging her arms around him to hug him tight.

"Surprise!" he declared, hugging her back. "I thought maybe I could buy you lunch before we head out on the road."

"That's so sweet," she told him, kissing him in thanks for the gesture. "You are very smart to know that food is the fastest way into my good graces."

"I'm not already in your good graces?" he checked, looking amused as they walked down the street with their arms around each other.

"You're driving me home to save on me taking the bus and you agreed to meet my mother after one month of dating," she recapped. "You are very much in my good graces," she assured him.

"And here I was worrying you only wanted me for my body," he teased her.

Rory giggled when he kissed her neck but then put on her best serious looks when she spoke again.

"No, it's definitely not just that. Your cooking skills are good too."

Jess tried to look affronted but she made him laugh too easily. It was like this most of the time, the banter thing, it was maybe what they were best at actually. Well, possibly the thing they they were second best at, Jess thought, though he never said it. Watching Rory blush was always amusing, but maybe in the middle of the street wasn't the place to bring up how well-matched they were in the bedroom.

"I have the perfect place for lunch," he told her instead as they walked down the street and around the next corner.

"Well, I hope it's not much further. I for one am starved and it's a long drive to the Hollow so... This is it?" she stopped talking when Jess ceased walking and pulled her to a stop beside him.

"This is it," he told her, smiling widely. "You remember that night when I told you about the hotdog guy...?"

"This is the guy!" said Rory in sudden realisation.

They ordered two with everything and crossed the street to Washington Square park to sit and eat. It was still cold out, but Rory barely noticed. Spring was coming, she could feel it in the air, and it seemed all the warmer and more like a new beginning when she was here with Jess like this. As they ate, she told him more about Stars Hollow, about her family, friends, and neighbours.

Beside her on the bench, Jess drank in all she said and her sheer enthusiasm for it all. The truth was, he was a little nervous about meeting her mother, as well as reuniting with an uncle he hadn't seen since he was a little kid. Jess wasn't exactly thrilled with Luke Danes. After all, he had disappeared out of his life a long time ago, like too many other guys Jess had known, too many supposed father figures, including his biological dad, Jimmy. Jess only hoped this trip went as well as Rory wanted it to. She was so damn excited and it was just the most adorable thing.

"You need more to eat or are we good to go?" he asked Rory when she finally stopped and drew breath.

"We're good," she smiled, looking down at his hand around hers on the bench. "We're very good," she said, glancing up at him, knowing same as he did that she meant a whole lot more by it than just being ready to get out of the city.

Jess smiled and pulled her close enough to kiss. It was just meant to be a sweet peck before they got up and left the park, but somehow they just melted into the moment and got lost in each other for a good five minutes.

"I guess I should learn not to do that so much for the next week," said Jess when they parted, tucking Rory's hair behind her ear. "Probably not a good idea in front of your mom."

"She'll be fine with it," said Rory easily. "We're adults, Jess, we're allowed to kiss."

"Good to know," he nodded, leaning in to take advantage of her words all over again.

* * *

Within an hour of getting out of work, Rory had her pre-packed bags in the trunk of Jess' car and was sat beside him ready to leave for Stars Hollow. She offered to share the driving, but he wouldn't hear of that any more than he would let her pay for gas. Rory was in charge of directions only (since Jess never had been the type for GPS), the rest was all him.

The stereo played in the background, something a little punk rock that Rory wasn't sure she had heard before, but she kind of liked it. The world went by the window slowly at first as they moved through the streets of NYC, and then a little fast when they got to the edge of the city.

Rory leant forward, hand reaching for the knob on the radio. Jess lightly slapped her hands away.

"Okay, rules of the car," he said suddenly.

Rory laughed. "There are rules to your car?"

"Number one, don't make fun of the rules," said Jess, giving her a mock-stern glance before returning his attention to the road. "Number two, no playing with the music without permission."

"Yes, sir," Rory saluted, finding it all a very amusing joke. "What else?" she checked.

Jess looked thoughtful a moment and then shrugged.

"Number three, don't break rules one and two," he smirked.

That got another laugh out of Rory.

"That's it? You're precious about your tunes? That's all?"

"Hey, you would be too if some chick threw your favourite tape out of the window at sixty miles an hour."

Rory wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Which tape?" she asked curiously, ever the investigative journalist.

"The Clash," Jess admitted. "London Calling."

"Wow. My mom is definitely going to love you," said Rory thoughtfully, explaining further when Jess cast her an inquisitive look. "She digs Joe Strummer, big time."

"Huh."

Somehow Jess hadn't been expecting that. Sure, when Rory talked about her mother she said how cool she was, how she was pretty young for a mom and everything. It wasn't as if he was expecting Lorelai to hate him on sight, though doubtless she wouldn't immediately adore the man that was sleeping with her daughter. He figured it was normal for there to be tension between a young woman's mother and the boyfriend, though he had no experience of these things. Then there was the added issue of Luke being Lorelai's other half. Jess wasn't sure he wanted to think about any of that too much until he had to, like when he actually met the couple. If he thought about it now, he wanted to pull a hand-break turn and head right back home with this visit never made. He couldn't do that, couldn't disappoint Rory so badly, but that didn't mean it wasn't tempting to suggest it.

"So, who was she?"

The question from Rory came so out of the blue, Jess genuinely didn't know what she was talking about.

"Who was who?"

"The girl," she said, eyes on the view from the passenger window rather than him. "The one who threw the Clash out of the window?"

Jess squirmed a little.

"Her name was Kristen," he said after a while, not remembering the blonde in question with much joy. "Why'd you ask?"

"I don't know," said Rory, taking her turn at squirming now. "Just curious. I mean, I told you about my ex-boyfriends, I guess I was just wondering about your ex-girlfriends. Not that you have to tell me, it's not a big deal," she rambled as she was prone to doing. "We've only been dating a month. Not even a month, but..."

"It will be tomorrow," Jess cut in, barely looking at her but then he did have the excuse that he was concentrating on driving. "Since we met anyway. I know that was an interview not a date, but it was one month ago. As of tomorrow," he clarified.

Rory felt a warmth spread through her chest and a smile creep across her lips as she looked at him. Jess knew they had known each other a month. He remembered the date of the interview and he counted it as when this relationship started. Rory liked that. She liked it a lot.

"Yeah, it was. One month ago, tomorrow," she nodded her agreement, feeling awfully girlish in this particular moment.

There was silence for a minute or two, and then Jess spoke again.

"And just to set the record straight, there weren't any," he told her.

Rory frowned a little. "Weren't any what?"

Jess made a big deal of watching the road, checking for the turn up ahead.

"Girlfriends, before you," he admitted too softly. "I mean, I dated, obviously. There were women that I went out with, and... and that I stayed in with," he cleared his throat to continue. "But I never... There's never been anyone like you, ever."

She wanted to kiss him. Actually Rory had a whole lot of things she wanted to do to Jess right now, and none of them were really appropriate in a car, especialy when he was in the middle of driving.

So he never said he loved her out loud, not properly anyway, but moments like this left Rory in no doubt of how special she really was to Jess, how much he genuinely cared about her. She wanted him to know she felt the same, but saying it was oddly difficult for the woman who lived to express herself in words, in writing. Showing him was impossible right now, but she was going to let him know somehow.

As they pulled up at a red-light, Rory leaned over and planted a kiss on Jess' cheek. It was a something and nothing kind of thing to do, or it might've been if he hadn't turned to look at her and saw the expression she was wearing. Rory just wanted Jess to know he hadn't made a fool of himself right now, that she got what he was saying and that she felt it too, no question.

"I, er... I like your music choices," she said then, gesturing to the stereo as Joey Ramone played on.

"Thanks," he nodded once and moved the car forward as the light turned green.

"Anything in the rules about turning the music up?" asked Rory, daring to reach her finger out to the volume knob.

"Knock yourself out," Jess smiled.

'_And I think to myself, what a wonderful world!'_

_To Be Continued..._


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Finally, we have made it to Stars Hollow, but don't expect smooth sailing!**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 17

Jess didn't really do nervous, at least never enough that he was forced to admit to it. Life had hardened him to most situations that others might find scary, and when something actually did get to him, Jess had a pretty good poker face. This was different, this was meeting the parents of a woman he really cared about. That had never come up in Jess' life before, and now, as they drove into Stars Hollow, he felt himself tensing up. White knuckles on the steering wheel, knees starting to jerk a little of their own accord. If he weren't driving, Jess had a feeling he would be doing a whole lot of nervous fidgeting around right now. As it was, being forced to keep his hands on the wheel and his mind on the road meant he covered a lot of nervous tics that might've otherwise presented themselves. It didn't mean he wasn't feeling freaked on the inside, and he could only hope Rory didn't notice.

"Welcome to Stars Hollow," she said, echoing the sentiments of the sign they just passed. "Home of the Minutemen and the best cup of coffee this side of anywhere."

"Minutemen?" asked Jess curiously.

"Hockey team."

"Huh."

"I know, I don't seem like the sports type," said Rory. "That's because mostly I'm not, but y'know the Minutemen have made it to the championship finals twice in the last forty years."

"Imagine that," said Jess with a smirk he couldn't help.

It helped, the joking about a pretty useless hockey team and all. Jess wasn't sure if Rory was doing it on purpose because she was smart enough to know how jumpy he was feeling or if she was being self-deprecating of her town to save face later. Always safer to make the jokes yourself before anyone else had a chance to, Jess knew that of old. Either way, it was helping.

"Make a left," she said then, and Jess dutifully turned the wheel. "Welcome to the Crap Shack," she declared as her house came into view.

Jess pulled the car up onto the drive and couldn't hold in a chuckle. Rory had told him before about the name she and her mother had given their home so many years before when they first moved in. Somehow that name had led him to picture the house as some tumbledown little mess of a place. In fact it was quite sizeable and nice-looking. A real family home the like of which Jess himself had never known. No sooner had he thought so than two people appeared on the porch, the female of which was waving madly.

"The perfect family that lives in the perfect family home," he said more to himself than to Rory, especially since she was already diving out of the passenger door.

She ran in the most ungainly way towards the steps and met what had to be her mother right there at the bottom, the two of them throwing their arms around each other and jumping up and down like crazy kids. It was quite the sight to see. Jess was smiling about it, even as he took a deep breath and alighted from the car. The expression slipped just a little when his eyes moved to the guy still up on the porch by the front door. He knew that face, even after all these years, and it didn't look all that pleased to see him.

"Jess!" Rory called to him, gesturing wildly for him to come over already.

He put the smile back on and moved swiftly to her side for an introduction with her mother. Lorelai looked genuine when she welcomed him to the town and her home, shaking his hand and smiling the whole time.

"Hey, you weren't kidding about him being a hottie," she said to Rory who blushed crimson at the implication.

"That's how you describe me?" asked Jess, enjoying watching her squirm just a little too much. "I mean, I'm not complaining."

"And she wasn't lying," said Lorelai with a grin.

"Rory's not really the lying type," he agreed. "Though I'm having a hard time believing you're her mother. You must've been really, really young."

"Y'know what impresses me the most?" she said, though her eyes shifted to Rory when she asked the question. "It's such a line, but I actually believe he means it, or did you tell him?"

"Nope, never came up," Rory shook her head.

"Well, Jess, I was only sixteen when Rory came along, so yes, pretty darn young," she admitted. "Still, not saying I don't also appreciate the compliment," she winked, before turning to the porch. "Luke? You coming down here or what?" she asked.

It was awkward and they all felt it as Luke finally came to the steps and down to the driveway where the others were gathered. He remembered Jess and his nephew remembered him, though neither looked quite the same. After all, it had been a lot of years, and people changed, especially kids that grew up into men.

"Hey, Rory," Luke greeted her with a smile, gladly accepting the hug she immediately offered. "Look at you, you look great."

"Thanks, Luke," she smiled happily. "So, as you probably already realise, this is Jess," she said, gesturing to her boyfriend.

He had his hands in his coat pockets now, shifting on the spot like he wished the ground would open up and swallow him or something. Honestly, when Luke was forced to face Jess, he didn't look any more comfortable.

"Jess. It's been a long time," said Luke stiffly. "It's good to see you again."

"Really?" asked Jess. "I'm surprised to hear you say that, I mean, you were the one who stopped coming around to visit, didn't stay in touch."

"Yeah, about that..." his uncle began, rubbing the back of his neck. "Er, things with me and your mom, well, you were a kid at the time, you couldn't have known-"

"I knew," said Jess coldly, his eyes showing Luke how hurt and angry he really was.

He hadn't been expecting that. Honestly, Luke thought Jess would have forgotten he even existed or whatever. He figured he would happily act like they were strangers and that would be that. The pain was a surprise, the anger simmering just beneath the surface.

The truth was, it was surprising Jess too. He knew he didn't like the fact Luke was just one in a long line of guys who had befriended him then turned their back over the years. He blamed Liz for a lot of that, for the ones that left, and the ones who weren't so nice to begin with. That was different though, that was just 'step-fathers' and the guys that were only called 'uncle' for as long as they shared Liz's bed. Luke was blood, real family, and Jess had meant so damn much to him that he just walked away and never came back, knowing the issues Liz had, knowing what Jess was going through every day as a kid. Jess really hadn't realised how much effect that had had on him until suddenly he was stood here face to face with Luke.

"Wow, um... So yeah, it's a little chilly out here," said Lorelai suddenly, her words having more meaning than just the weather and they all knew it. "How about we get you guys and your bags inside?"

"Oh, mom, I didn't expect to stay here," said Rory, shaking her head. "I mean, if it'd been just me, but I brought Jess so..."

"Babe, you know Jess is totally welcome in our home," Lorelai told her, before noticing the look on her daughter's face. "On the other hand, if you guys would be more comfortable otherwhere, I have rooms available at the inn?"

"The inn would be good," said Rory pointedly, squeezing Jess' arm and getting his attention. "Wouldn't that be good, Jess? Staying at the Dragonfly Inn?"

"Sure," he replied, his eyes only just now coming away from Luke and looking at her again. "Yeah, a room at the inn would be great," he smiled then, but the expression was forced and Rory knew it.

"I have to get back to the diner," said Luke then. "I only came over to say 'hi'," he explained, and within a minute he was kissing Lorelai's cheek and heading off down the street.

Rory felt Jess physically relax his whole body the moment his uncle was gone. So much for a happy family reunion. This week was going to be long and incredibly awkward if Jess and Luke couldn't find a way to get along, and Rory felt stupid for not realising sooner how bad things could get.

"So, you guys probably want to get your bags to the inn, take a load off and all that," said Lorelai, clearly distracted by her boyfriend's retreating form. "Um, how about you two go do that and I'll be over to the inn myself in, I don't know, about an hour? We can catch up a little before I head on to Friday Night Dinner."

"Sounds good," Rory smiled, moving in to hug her mother tightly again. "I'm sorry," she whispered in her ear, and Lorelai knew why.

"Not your fault, sweets," she promised in an equally low voice before they released each other.

Jess and Rory headed back to the car and Lorelai ran to jump in the Jeep, squealing the tyres as she shot off into the town proper. Jess put a hand to his forehead then dragged his fingers back through his hair.

"Rory, I'm sorry," he told her.

"What for?" she asked, fastening her seat-belt, trying to act like she was just that clueless, but of course Jess knew better.

"Just call you Cher Horowitz, huh?" he smirked slightly. "C'mon, you know what I'm talking about. I didn't mean to... Me and Luke, it's just a sore subject. Honestly? I didn't know how sore until he was standing right there in front of me," he shook his head.

Rory's hand found his on the steering wheel and squeezed his fingers comfortingly.

"It's okay," she promised. "I even understand, kind of. I mean, you know I've told you that I rarely see my father. Dad's okay, he tries, but sometimes not as hard as he should. He has a habit of making promises and not quite following through. I know you never had your real dad around either, but you had other guys and for a while you had Luke, right?"

"It was a long time ago," Jess reminded her.

"I know, but you still had him there in your life, and then he was gone," said Rory, knowing it was true because he told her so himself. "It's only natural for you to feel hurt by that, even now."

She understood, and Jess ought to have known she would. Rory always seemed to get what he was saying, or moreover what he wasn't saying. That was why they worked, he supposed. They had an understanding of each other that just seemed to exist, like a natural phenomenon, they didn't even have to try all that hard. One month tomorrow since they met and Jess couldn't help it, he opened his mouth and the words came tumbling out.

"Rory, I love you," he told her without preamble or dramatic overtones.

Rory's eyes went a little wide as she stared across at him from the passenger seat. She really hadn't been expecting that, not now, not in these circumstances. It wasn't that it never occurred to her to say it back, it was only that her voice seemed to have completely gone away the moment Jess said those three little words. With a smile playing at her lips she leaned in closer, her hand going to Jess' cheek as their lips finally met in a very meaningful kiss. Maybe it was all going to be okay after all.

* * *

Luke didn't even look up when Lorelai came into the diner, just continued cleaning the already spotless counter with gusto. She knew he wasn't aware he was doing it, it was just a reaction to being upset. Jess' attitude hurt, but quite honestly, Lorelai wasn't sure she could be mad at the kid for that. She should be, but she couldn't.

"Hey," she said as she reached the counter.

"Hi," said Luke shortly as he glanced at her. "I... Lorelai, I'm sorry about what just happened out there," he told her then, a sigh escaping his lips as he gave her his full attention. "I mean, that little punk..."

"No," Lorelai cut in, shaking her head. "He's not a punk, Luke, and you know he's not. He's just a guy that used to be a little kid who needed help, and... Well, I'm not blaming you, because I, of all people, know what a great person you are," she said definitely, her hand over his on the counter now. "Luke, you have done so much for me and for Rory, for this town, actually. I know you are in no way a bad person, but look at it from Jess' point of view. He was just a little kid."

Luke looked pained then as the pieces in his head clicked into place. He was seeing this situation only from his own side. Switching things around, considering how it all seemed to Jess, that certainly gave him pause for thought.

"I abandoned him," he said softly.

Lorelai bit her lip, feeling bad for her guy.

"From his point of view, yeah, I think you kind of did," she agreed sadly.

Lorelai didn't want him to feel bad. Luke never meant to hurt anybody, that just wasn't his way at all. At the same time, he needed to understand why Jess was lashing out. It was the only way to fix things.

"But it wasn't about him," Luke insisted, shaking his head. "I mean, Liz was just... I couldn't handle seeing her screw up her life over and over," he explained, frustration evident in his tone and body language. "I tried to help her, both of them, God knows, I tried, but she wouldn't let me. She just made mistake on mistake. She would get mad at me if I tried to tell her anything, give her any advice. What was I supposed to do?" he asked helplessly.

"I don't know, honey," said Lorelai, shaking her head. "I wish I did. I just think maybe if you explained to Jess how things were, so he understands why you never came visiting anymore, it might help?"

Luke knew she was right. Lorelai was always right when it came to this sort of stuff, and yet, it seemed easier to just bury his head in the sand somehow.

"Maybe it's just better if I stay out of his way," he suggested.

"Forever?" she gasped loudly in response, making him jump a little. "Luke, I think Rory is pretty serious about this guy, and he seems pretty serious about her. If they make this work, are you just never going to see Rory again?"

"Of course not," he sighed, knowing this was such a pointless line of conversation. "I'm going to have to figure this out with Jess, aren't I?"

"I think so," agreed Lorelai, almost amused by how terribly pained he looked about the actual talking thing. "Maybe in a couple of days when things are calmer?" she suggested, reaching her hand to his face when he looked away.

"Okay," he nodded then, heaving out one more sigh before he finally found a smile. "What would I do without you?" he asked then, his hand covering hers at his cheek.

"I don't know but I think life would probably kind of suck," she said too seriously, before a grin broke through. "For me too," she added, standing up to better lean over the counter and share a kiss with her man.

With a little luck, Luke would talk to Jess and all the animosity would go away. Lorelai was already having to deal with sharing her daughter with the new guy. She really couldn't handle a major upset between her man and Rory's man, that would be way too messy!

_To Be Continued..._


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I enjoyed a really relaxing week off work at the end of August, then came the first week of September and damn real life has been kicking my butt! This is why updates have been delayed. Everything has all happened at once, including me feeling less than great BUT I do have an update for you now, so that's not nothing. Enjoy!**

**_(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)_**

Chapter 18

When Rory woke up it took her a moment to remember were she was. A smile graced her lips not only because she quickly recalled that she was home in Stars Hollow, but also at the realisation her head was pillowed against the chest of one Jess Mariano. With a grin that grew by the second, she moved to look up at her lover and found him already wide awake, a book in his free hand as he read on.

"Jess?"

"Morning, beautiful," he smiled the moment he realised she was awake, leaning down to kiss her lips. "Sleep well?"

"So well!" she declared happily, snuggling ever closer to him if that were possible. "You been awake long? Jess?" she prodded when she got no answer.

Rory moved to look at him again and found Jess evading her gaze. On the surface it seemed as if he were just trying to finish the page or chapter he had been reading when she woke up, but somehow Rory just knew it was more than that. Reaching for the book in his hands, she prised it from his fingers and made Jess meet her eyes.

"What?" he asked, as if he didn't know.

"Jess," she said sternly. "You didn't sleep?" she checked.

"Not much," he admitted then, feeling too much like a kid who just got busted for sneaking cookies. "I tried, I just... I don't know, Ror. I had a lot on my mind," he admitted, running a hand over his face.

Rory knew what the problem was, and it came in the form of her surrogate-father, namely Luke Danes. She hated how awkward things had gotten yesterday. It was like a switch got flipped the moment Jess was faced with his uncle. He was just so mad at him, and though it upset Rory to see it happen, she really couldn't blame Jess. He was just a kid when Luke stopped coming around, he felt abandoned and Rory knew only too well what that felt like.

After that, things got better. Rory couldn't help recalling Jess' declaration of love to her in the car outside of her home. He really had bowled her over with those words, and though she hadn't said it back, Rory knew she had deep feelings for Jess, so much so that she wanted nothing in this moment but to take away his pain.

"I'm sorry," she said sadly, kissing his cheek.

"What for?" he checked. "You didn't make me come here, and you certainly didn't make me and Luke have a crappy history," he reminded her, holding her close. "I'm not blaming you for anything, Ror."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm still sorry though. I want this to be a happy trip, for the both of us."

"And it will be," he promised, kissing her lips, tucking her hair behind her ear for her as he moved down in the bed beside her. "Just maybe keep the French guy away from me today, okay? He is seriously unhinged."

Rory giggled at both his words and expression.

"Michel is okay," she insisted. "He's just a little uptight."

"A little?" Jess echoed with apparent shock. "Seriously, if we put a lump of coal up his ass, we'd have a diamond before the weekend was over."

"Eeew!" declared Rory, though she couldn't help laughing as well because she knew Jess was probably right.

Michel really hadn't looked too impressed when Lorelai volunteered him to show Jess around the inn and the grounds, whilst she and Rory caught up for a while. By the time the guys returned, Jess was wearing a decidedly fake smile and Michel was muttering obscenities in his mother tongue. Rory promised herself then and there that the two were not to be left alone together ever again, and Lorelai must have apologised at least twelve times to Jess.

"I thought maybe today I could show you my town," said Rory thoughtfully. "I know it won't be as big a deal as when you showed me all the highlights of New York..."

"It'll be great," Jess told her definitely. "I want to see all your old haunts and everything," he smirked.

Rory laughed and rolled her eyes. He was deliberately being silly, but that was better than miserable. She moved in to kiss him, only intending for one sweet moment before she got out of bed, but Jess pulled her tight to him and Rory forgot she was ever going to do anything but stay here all day long.

* * *

"So, show me all the wonders that Stars Hollow has to offer."

That was how Jess had put it when he and Rory finally got out of bed to face the day. She thought he was maybe putting a little sarcasm into the request, but at the same time, he did seem genuinely interested in seeing her home town. Rory loved that he was that sweet, though she never told him so. Guys didn't exactly love being told how sweet they were, but Rory thought it, she couldn't help it.

It was an easy task to show Jess all the Hollow had to offer. They trailed around all over, on foot for the most part, and Rory showed off the bookstore as a particular favourite haunt, before pointing out all the other places that ever meant anything to her. From Kim's Antiques where Rory's best friend Lane grew up, to the video store that once installed a Rory curtain behind which all but around six tapes had been censored, Jess saw it all and heard every story that went with each landmark. It was great to be immersed in Rory's world this way, and it made him very glad he had come here. As alive as she always seemed, Rory had never looked happier than now as she shared what was essentially her life story one location at a time. The only other time Jess saw her smile so much was when she joined him on his own life journey through New York.

"I guess that pretty much covers it," she said at last. "I mean, there's the school," she pointed to it from their current spot in the town square, Jess' arm around her shoulders as they walked. "I loved Stars Hollow High but I was only there Freshman year before I transferred to Chilton in Hartford."

"Prep school, right?" he checked. "With the uniform and everything?"

There was a look in his eyes when he said it that made Rory blush immediately.

"If you ask the question in your head right now, I'm going to have to hit you," she warned.

"What question?" he shrugged as if he was so innocent - Rory knew better.

"And moving on," she smiled, looking away. "Um, that's kind of it for the town proper. I have one more place to take you, and given that it's a good time for lunch..." she said checking her watch.

Jess stopped walking very abruptly.

"Rory" he shook his head, eyes drifting to the diner in the distance.

"Oh, no. I know. I wasn't going to suggest going to Luke's," she promised. "Jess, I really wasn't. I mean, I'd love for you two to figure things out, but today is you and me, seeing my town. I had other plans, I swear," she assured him.

Looking down to meet her eyes, Jess had to believe her. Rory didn't lie anyway, but right now he could see the honesty just pouring out of her, as well as all those other very real feelings she had for him. He nodded his head.

"Okay," he said then. "Where we headed?"

"Follow me," she smiled widely, grabbing onto his hand and leading the way.

Jess couldn't help the fact his eyes drifted to the diner again as they passed by. At this range, it was likely Luke wouldn't even have spotted them, though he had to know Jess and Rory were around. The town gossips were in full swing, so Rory said. Many of the people who had stopped them on their trip around town already seemed to know Jess' name and so many facts that it just disturbed him. They were Miss Patty, Babette Dell, and others that he had already forgotten the names of. Rory assured him they were mostly harmless, though somehow he doubted it where Miss Patty was concerned. She was way too handsy for a woman of her years!

Right now, Jess' focus was back on Rory alone and where she might be taking him. He opened his mouth to ask if this was some kind of hit as she led him through some thick trees and overgrown bushes. Jess was glad he hadn't said a word when they emerged at the end of a bridge over a beautiful lake.

"Wow," he said, taking in the sight.

"Yup," Rory agreed whole-heartedly. "This was one of my favourite places growing up. Somewhere to just be alone with my thoughts, or a book," she smiled. "I never really shared it with anyone, not my mom or Lane. It's always been my place, I guess. I thought it'd make a great lunch spot, even though it is a little chilly for a picnic..."

"It's perfect," Jess assured her, pulling her closer and kissing her cheek. "But, er, we didn't bring any food?"

"Taken care of," she grinned up at him, before pulling on his hand again and leading him to the centre of the bridge.

There they found a large basket, full of all kinds of delicious looking snacks, plus cans of soda too. Rory explained that Sookie had done her a solid in coming up with all of this on such short notice. Jess recalled from all he had already been told that Sookie was both the chef at the Dragonfly and Lorelai's best friend. If nothing else, she was proven to be the best chef in the world, Jess thought, as he and Rory tucked into the food with gusto.

As they ate, sat close together with their legs dangling over the side of the bridge, Jess took a moment to appreciate this beautiful spot that Rory had called her own. It was pretty amazing that she had chosen to bring him here, to share this private place with him alone. Maybe he had been the only one out of the two of them to say those three little words, but Rory was proving more and more what he meant to her, Jess couldn't deny that. he was sure he had never meant this much to anyone else before.

For Rory, this was quite the strange experience. She had been so sure in bringing Jess to the bridge. It had kind of been her Fortress of Solitude growing up, despite the fact it was one of the least fortress-like places in town. It was where she came to be alone whenever she needed somewhere to go, all through her teen years in particular. She had never been here with Dean or with Logan, not with her mother or any of her friends. It astounded her when the thought came to mind that she wanted to take Jess to the bridge for lunch, and yet she knew it was the right thing to do.

Wiping her hands clean of crumbs when the final delicious snack was eaten, Rory knew it was time for something else that now felt like the right thing. She must have looked a little too serious in thinking about it because Jess called her on it.

"I was just... Um, yesterday in the car," she began, turning to face Jess a little more and pulling one leg up under her body. "After the whole confrontation thing with Luke..."

Rory met Jess' eyes and they both knew they were thinking of the same moment, when he told her he loved her. It hadn't been an entirely conscious decision to go there, to say those words, it just happened. Jess didn't regret it and hadn't worried when she didn't reply in kind.

"Rory, it's okay," he promised her. "I'm not asking you to-"

"But I want to," she cut in. "Jess, you kind of caught me off-guard when you said that, but I don't want you to think I didn't say it back because I didn't feel it," she explained as best she could. "What I'm trying to say is... is that I love you, I really, really do. I think I've known that for a while, and I probably should've said it sooner, but-"

This time, Jess stopped her from saying anymore, not with words of his own, but with his lips on hers in a searing kiss. They were lost in the moment for some time, and when they finally broke for air, Rory had completely lost her train of thought.

"What was I saying?" she asked dizzily.

"I don't know," admitted Jess, smiling because he couldn't help it. "I kind of lost focus after the 'I love you' part."

"Me too," sighed Rory. "But I meant it, Jess."

"I know that you did," he agreed, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "And for the record, so did I when I said it yesterday. I don't know how it happened, but you got under my skin, Gilmore, and into my heart in this way that no woman ever did before," he explained. "How'd you do that?"

"I'd tell you if I knew," she smiled. "You ought to know how it works, because that's exactly what you did to me too."

By the end, her words were nothing more than a whisper against his lips before they started kissing again. It didn't really occur to either Rory or Jess that they were in a public place as their arms wound around each other, putting their bodies impossibly close. Caught in a moment they had no wish to get out of, even footsteps on the bridge didn't cause them to part. It was only when Rory heard her name in a voice that was distinctly not Jess' own that her eyes popped open and she startled at the sight of the town selectman standing over her.

"Taylor!" she gasped, socking Jess in the shoulder so he would stop kissing her neck and let her up off her back.

"What?" asked Jess, somewhat dazed as he looked over at the guy who had interrupted them. "Who is this?" he whispered to Rory, who only shook her head at him.

"Well, Miss Rory Gilmore and her new beau," said Taylor snippily, hands on hips and foot tapping impatiently. "I suppose you think this is appropriate behaviour after spending so long in the debauchery capital that is New York City? Well let me remind you, Little Missy, about the town rules on public displays of affection."

"Are you for real?" asked Jess, looking as shocked by all this as he felt and then some.

"We're sorry, Taylor," said Rory quickly. "We'll just be going now," she added, scrambling to her feet and dragging Jess with her.

She grabbed the picnic basket and turned them both towards the far end of the bridge, urging Jess to quicken his pace and not ask questions.

Taylor was still yelling after them as they laughed like kids and began pelting towards the inn like giddy teens in love. It was how they felt, and it felt good_._

_To Be Continued..._


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, peops. I think it's time to figure things out between Jess &amp; Luke.**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 19

With Lorelai working and Rory wanting to show Jess the town, Saturday passed without the Gilmore girls spending much time together at all. Neither was especially happy about it, but they had a whole week left to enjoy each other's company, and that started on Sunday.

It was a little awkward when Lorelai confessed to Rory, in front of Jess, that she kind of had a lot of plans for the two of them before she found out Rory was bringing the new guy along. Not a one amongst the three felt comfortable about it, and immediately Lorelai apologised.

"I'm sorry. Seriously, I am thrilled that things are going so well for you two, and it is so great to get to meet Rory's guy," she promised Jess.

"But you girls want some mother-daughter time," he shrugged. "I get that. You should do it, today," he told them.

"No, Jess," Rory complained. "I mean, as much as I'd love to spend the day with Mom, I'm not about to abandon you in a strange town."

"And strange is the watchword here, my friend," said Lorelai with a look that made Jess smirk.

"I think I can handle it," he told them both. "Besides, this is one day your mom doesn't have to work at all, and she hardly ever gets to see you," he said to Rory then. "Go, spend the day... doing whatever women do when they get together," he said with a vague wave of his hand. "I'll be fine," he assured her, kissing the hand he had been holding this whole time before releasing Rory's fingers.

"You're sure?"

"More than sure."

"Surest?"

"You do know being a journalist doesn't give you licence to actually invent your own words, right?" he teased her.

"Okay!" Lorelai cut in. "Enough with the cute now before I hurl. Let's go shopping!" she told Rory excitedly, physically bounding in place and clapping her hands.

Rory gave in and left with her mom, looking back over her shoulder to mouth 'thanks' to Jess. He only smiled and literally waved her off. Honestly, he had no idea what he was going to do all day without her. Hiding out in their room at the inn seemed like a plan. He could read some, or work on his latest novel. Jess was actually happy to do these things and forget the world outside even existed, at least until he got hungry.

Around lunch time he went in search of food, only to find the dining room packed and a fight breaking out in the kitchen. Sookie sounded outraged at something, and the other voice arguing with her was distinctly French. Jess so didn't want to get into the middle of that and figured food would be a while in coming. Heading back to his room, he grabbed his jacket and then headed out towards the town.

Stars Hollow was full of people even on a chilly Sunday afternoon. Though most all the stores were closed, the diner was open. The smell of burgers, baked goods, and pie floated out every time the door opened and closed with customers going in and out. Jess was hungry and here was a source of food. Unfortunately, this place was Luke's, and that meant facing the uncle who he had not reacted well to a couple of days ago. For Rory's sake, Jess knew he should try to make peace and yet one look through the plate glass at Luke told him now probably wasn't the time.

Turning on his heel, Jess headed off in the opposite direction in the vain hope of finding some other eatery, or at least a store open on a Sunday in this crack-pot town. He barely got ten yards from the diner when a familiar voice called his name.

"Jess? Hey, Jess. Wait up!"

He didn't want to stop walking. More than that, he really did not want to turn around and have this conversation, but Jess didn't see that he really had a choice. He came to a halt, huffed out a misty breath and then slowly turned to face Luke.

"What?" he asked sharply.

"I think... I think we need to talk," said Luke eventually, adjusting his hat. "I need to say some things to you that you should hear."

Jess looked away, thinking of all the ways this conversation could go, wondering if it would be better or worse if he just refused and kept on walking. In his head, he saw Rory, the disappointment on her face that he knew would be there if he told her he didn't even make an effort with the guy she saw as such a father figure. It was going to make things real awkward for her, and for Lorelai, if he and Luke couldn't even be a room together. As much as he hated it, and Luke must have realised how very much that was, Jess finally sighed and met his eyes.

"Fine," he said, practically through gritted teeth. "You wanna talk, let's talk."

Luke nodded, found a smile and gestured for Jess to follow him back to the diner. The two went inside, Jess led by Luke to a curtain behind the counter that shifted back to reveal a staircase. They went upstairs to what looked like it should be an office but turned out to be an apartment.

"Huh," said Jess as he looked around the place. "This is..."

"It's not all that homely, I know," said Luke as he closed the door behind them. "It was my father's office. I turned it into an apartment but since me and Lorelai moved in together, I really don't keep much here, just essentials. It's useful if I need somewhere to take a break from the diner or I can sleep over when I have real early deliveries and Lorelai wants to sleep in... And you don't care about any of this," he realised suddenly, stopping himself mid-ramble. "I'm sorry."

"I'm dating Rory, I'm used to the rambling thing," he said with a shrug.

Luke shook his head. "I don't mean sorry for that. Well, I am sorry for that, but what I meant to say is... Well, the thing is, I'm sorry for before, Jess," he tried in vain to explain, shifting awkwardly and making gestures with his hands. "I'm not good at the talking thing, but I need you to know that... well, when you were a kid and I stopped coming around, it wasn't about you."

"Really?" Jess checked, folding his arms across his chest. "So you cared so much about me, you decided to go away and never come back? Wow, never heard that one before."

"Jess," sighed Luke, running his hand over his face. "I'm not... Me and Liz, it was very complicated. It still is," he tried to explained. "She is my little sister and I love her, always, but you have to understand what it was like for me. I couldn't keep coming around and watching her just destroy her life. It hurt too much."

"And what about my life, Luke?" Jess countered loudly, arms unfolding as he waved them in emphatic gestures brought on by anger and frustration both. "Liz was destroying my life too, and the only time things seemed a little better was when you came around," he explained. "You got her sober, you tossed out the drugs. Hell, you tossed out a couple of asshole boyfriends too, and I was grateful. I looked up to you! I thought you were always going to be there when things got too bad. Well, what an idiot I was!" he yelled in Luke's face. "Turns out you were just like everybody else. Just like Jimmy, just like all the so-called step-fathers that claimed to care. You got sick of Liz so you walked out on her, and without even thinking about it, you walked out on me too!"

Jess hadn't known he was crying until he tasted salt. It had to be years since he got so upset. He didn't think anything could hurt him the way Liz used to, the way his crappy childhood had, but seeing Luke and having to explain to him all that had gone before, it was enough to stir up all the old emotions. He dragged his hand across his face and turned away, feeling stupid.

For a long moment, Luke just stood and stared. Lorelai had asked him to talk to Jess, to help him see that he never meant to abandon him. He had hoped for a quick conversation and an agreement to be civil for the sake of their significant others. He hadn't quite been ready for the onslaught from Jess, the genuine emotion that came bubbling up out of the nephew he hardly knew. Luke opened his mouth to speak and found that he couldn't, the emotion thick in his throat and dampness welling in his own eyes. Clearing is throat, he eventually got some words out.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, shaking his head. "I didn't think, Jess. I swear, I had no idea that... I had no idea."

Jess wasn't sure which part Luke was pleading ignorance on. The fact that Jess looked up to him or the way he thought he was the hero that would always fix things. Comparing him to Jimmy had to hurt, and maybe that was Jess' intention. Honestly, now that all he was feeling was out in the open after being bottled up too long, he was surprised to realise how much better he felt.

"I actually didn't know how mad I was at you until I saw you again," he admitted, sniffing hard as he turned back to face Luke. "I don't know what happened, I just... It all came bubbling up and I just couldn't deal."

"I get it, I do," Luke promised him. "And Jess, you have every right to be mad at me. I wasn't looking at any of this from your point of view. You were just a kid back then, I figured you'd never miss me-"

"I did," he cut in with a nod.

"I see that now," Luke replied, swallowing hard. "For what it's worth, I missed you too. I used to wonder how things were with you, if you'd gotten taller, if you still looked a little like your grandpa or if you'd started to look like your father instead."

"What's the verdict?" asked Jess, unable to help the curiosity that he felt.

"A little of both," said Luke with a shrug and a half a smile. "Y'know when you were around seventeen, Liz asked me to let you come live here. She ever tell you that?"

Jess shook his head.

"Well, she did. I thought about it, I really did, but... but I didn't know anything about raising kids, never mind a teenager that was already getting into trouble," he shook his head. "If I'd known how bad things had gotten, how much you needed me..."

"I'm not so sure me coming here back then would've been a good idea," Jess admitted. "I was in a bad place. Took years for me to figure out where I wanted my life to go and then make it happen."

"But you did make it happen." Luke smiled. "Look at you, you're an author of two books. You have this great life in New York, your own place, and... and you have the most amazing girlfriend. You know that, right?"

"I know that," agreed Jess. "Rory's like no other woman I ever met. For all that you say about not knowing how to raise kids, I know you did a lot for her. She talks about you all the time, says how great you are."

"Lorelai did all the heavy lifting." Luke shook his head. "I was just... there," he said vaguely. "But I should have been there for you too, Jess. I'm so sorry that I wasn't," he repeated, a tentative hand briefly at Jess' shoulder.

"It was a long time ago," said Jess, though it was clear it still hurt, even now.

Luke could apologise and his nephew could agree to let bygones be bygones, but there was still a bridge to be built. Years of anger and frustration didn't just evaporate at the sound of an apology. There was a lot of making up to do, and a lot of getting to know each other again as a pair of adult males that shared blood and the love of Gilmore women, but possibly little else right now.

"So, er... I guess at least we can be in a room together now without fear of explosions or whatever."

Jess smirked at the imagery, and at the fact Luke didn't seem able to say one serious thing to him without shifting his stance or adjusting his hat. The man was not a great talker, and Jess could relate. Writing was easy but saying words to people wasn't always so much. Clearly Luke could relate to people. Rory spoke highly of him, and he had Lorelai too. Jess could too when he had to, but this guy to guy thing was by no means fun. All he knew for sure was that Luke understood better what he had put Jess through by not being around and it was clear he was genuinely sorry for it.

"Civil would be good, for Rory's sake," he nodded eventually. "But I should go, you've got customers down there," he gestured towards the door.

"Yeah, the lunch rush is on its way in," Luke agreed. "You, er... You hungry at all?"

Jess opened his mouth to say no but the lie died in his throat. They could be civil, they had just established that, and in time, there was even a chance they would get along. Besides, this was the only place open to eat and Jess was hungry.

"I could eat," he admitted.

Luke smiled.

* * *

"So I apologised to Taylor, but then we just got up and ran like hell," explained Rory, laughing and blushing at the same time as she told her story.

"Wow. Even I haven't been busted by Taylor for public indecency!" chuckled Lorelai, hefting her purse higher on her shoulder.

They had shopped until they just couldn't shop no more, gossiping and catching up on every detail of each others lives. They had drunk a lot of coffee and eaten their weight in food court treats. In spite of this, they were now headed to the diner to see Luke and get some more snacks before they parted ways. It had been a big day.

"It was hardly indecent," said Rory in response to her mother's semi-joke. "It was just kissing. Well, nothing further than second base anyway," she amended on reflection.

"Rory!" her mother gasped in fake shock. "And before you are wed? My child, for shame!"

"Said my mother, the teenage pregnancy scandal," she retorted as they wandered into the diner.

Lorelai had a comeback ready but it was gone from her mind as she and Rory faced the scene before them. Luke was dodging between tables, filling coffee cups and clearing plates, which was totally normal. The weirdness came in the form of the guy at the cash register ringing up orders, because that guy was Jess Mariano.

"Um, what the...?" Lorelai began.

"Right there with you," replied Rory before the question was even asked.

"Hello, ladies," said Luke with a smile as he came over, planting a breif kiss on Lorelai's cheek. "You two have fun at the mall?"

"Er, yeah," his fiancé said vaguely. "I'm guessing you had a little talk with a certain nephew?" she said, gesturing towards Jess with her many bags.

"We did talk," Luke nodded. "It's a rocky road but I think we're okay for now."

Rory wandered away then, towards the counter which was now clear of customers. She arrived in front of Jess and shot him a questioning look.

"Hey," he greeted her happily, leaning over the counter to kiss her lips. "Wow, is there anything left in the mall?" he asked as he noted all her bags and those Lorelai was holding over by the door where she continued to talk to Luke.

"Most important questions first," she shook her head. "You talked to Luke?"

"I talked to Luke," confirmed Jess.

"And you're friends now?"

"Friends might be pushing it. I may have let out some pent up anger issues from my teen years and, to his credit, Luke took it like a man. He apologised for not being around and... I don't know, I guess it's time for everybody to move on," he shrugged.

Rory couldn't keep from grinning. She had the best day with her mom and now her two favourite men had made their peace. Both Rory and Lorelai had been so worried about the family rift that could turn very ugly. Instead it seemed to be resolved with very little trouble. Dumping all her bags, Rory rushed around the counter and hugged Jess tightly.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what is this for?" he asked, hugging her back.

"Thank you for making such an effort," she said in his ear. "I know it can't have been easy."

"I'd say you're welcome, but honestly? Figuring things out with Luke was as cathartic for me as it was helpful to you, so I don't think it'd be fair for me to take all this credit. Besides, he was the one who asked to talk to me," he shrugged.

"Well, thank you anyway," she repeated, kissing his lips. "It means a lot to me to have you guys get along."

"You're happy, I'm happy," he assured her with a smile.

_To Be Continued..._


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Don't you think that this version of Jess should meet the Gilmore grandparents? ;)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 20

They had been in Stars Hollow almost a full week. Jess had expected to be bored by now. The way Rory talked about her small town home, it didn't seem like it was going to be enough to keep the interest of a city guy like him, but Jess had found it really wasn't so bad at all. Sure, the neighbours were nosey, and all five fruity flavours of crazy too, but they were mostly harmless and they sure had welcomed Jess with open arms. Mostly, anyway. The mayor-type named Taylor didn't take such a shine to him, but Jess couldn't care less about that. A lot of folks seemed to like him on instinct, just because he was Rory's guy and/or Luke's nephew. Both had an awful lot of friends and non-blood family in this town, and Jess had been accepted by association. It wasn't the worst feeling in the world, he had to admit.

Of course, when it came to family, Rory had a real one too. Beyond Lorelai and Luke, there were the grandparents, namely Richard and Emily Gilmore. Jess hadn't heard too much about them until a couple of days ago when the subject of Friday Night Dinner was raised between the Gilmore girls. Apparently it was a standing arrangement whereby they went over to dinner with the elders at some swanky house in nearby Hartford. Lorelai apologised profusely as she admitted to letting slip that Rory was in town with her new boyfriend in tow, and bam, Jess had an invitation to dinner.

"You don't have to go," Rory had insisted. "I mean, I probably should. Honestly, I'd kind of like to, but you don't have to."

That particular ramble had gone on for a while, punctuated by pained expressions from Lorelai as she explained what might happen if the invitation was in fact refused. Jess wasn't exactly leaping for joy at the prospect of meeting Hartford's hoi polloi, but they were Rory's grandparents and he got the feeling she would prefer him to go, despite what she said. Certainly Lorelai was predicting group floggings if Jess didn't show, and so he agreed. Rory had been more than grateful when they got back to the inn that night, making Jess' sacrifice twice as worth it in his eyes.

Tonight was the night; at least it would be when the afternoon had passed. Rory had spent the morning with Lorelai and Jess had gone out to get himself something smart to wear to dinner. Rory said he didn't have to but Luke had agreed Jess probably should, given what a stickler Emily Gilmore was for these things. The guys had a talk about the evening's main event at the diner around lunchtime when Jess had also helped out serving customers. Though he and Luke may never be the best of friends, they were certainly getting along much better than expected after their initial frosty reunion. Quite frankly, Jess was happy to be able to talk to anyone in this place who had an ounce of common sense, and Luke definitely qualified for that more than any other denizen of Stars Hollow.

Jess turned the page and continued reading, laid out on the bed back at the inn. Rory had come in a few minutes ago, dripping wet from a sudden rain shower that hadn't started until Jess was safely indoors. She and Lorelai had lingered on the edge of the inn's grounds to watch guests riding the horses when the thunder and lightning came out of nowhere. Apparently it startled Cletus enough that he bolted, kicking up dust and mud. Rory was filthy and soaked by the time she got back to the room and had bolted straight for the shower without giving Jess even a moment to ask if he could go along and scrub her back.

"That feels so much better!" declared Rory as she now appeared in a fluffy robe, brushing the tangles from her damp hair. "Hey," she smiled as she threw herself onto the bed beside Jess.

"Hey, yourself," he greeted her with a similar expression, leaning over with his hand behind her head to kiss her lips.

"Mmm, and that feels even better."

"Always happy to help," he smirked, putting the page marker into his book and dumping it on the nightstand. "So, apart from the last minute horse incident and rain soaking, you had a good day, right?"

"So far, so good." Rory nodded, laying on her side with her head propped on her hand. "I know tonight is... Well, it can't be your idea of fun. I repeat my offer to make excuses for you so you don't have to go to Friday Night Dinner."

"Rory, will you stop?" he urged her, rolling his eyes. "I said I'll go and I'll go. I bought the high-brow jacket, I'll put less gel in my hair, and I promise to be the perfect gentleman. It'll be cool."

"Cool? Really?" she checked, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, it'll be fine anyway," he amended. "Luke said he might even come along just to deflect a little attention, which I thought was pretty decent of him."

"I like that you two get along." Rory grinned.

"So you keep on telling me."

"And did I mention that I am very grateful about you coming to dinner tonight?"

"You did," he told her with a smirk he couldn't help, fingers running through her damp hair and down her fuzzy-clad arm as she moved closer.

"But I'm not sure that you fully understand how grateful I really am," she said teasingly. "And how much I love you," she whispered in his ear before planting kisses on his cheek and neck.

"Well, we have a couple of hours before we need to get ready for dinner," he said, eyes closing a moment as she kissed him.

"What can we possibly do to fill a couple of hours?" she asked, suddenly all faux-innocent despite what she had been doing to him just moments before.

"I don't know," he said, pretending to think on it, even as his hands moved to the tie on her robe and pulled, revealing her naked form. "But I'm sure we can improvise."

Rory was giggling when he sudenly pulled her down on top of him, though all laughter died in a second when he kissed her, hands roaming over her skin. Strangely, neither of them were giving Friday Night Dinner a second thought for the next couple of hours.

* * *

"Any topics I should avoid?" Jess asked Luke as the foursome stood on the doorstep of the Gilmore mansion.

"Pretty much go with the old adage of not speaking unless you're spoken to," his uncle advised. "It works for me, most of the time," he shrugged.

"Well, sure, yeah," Lorelai agreed, turning around to look at the guys. "But as far as topics go, I would definitely avoid politics, religion, money, oh, and perhaps most importantly, the fact that you're sleeping with their darling granddaughter."

"Mom!" Rory gasped, though it was hard not to laugh at her usual outspoken behaviour.

"What? You don't think me and Luke already know you guys are bedroom active? For one thing, you told me, and I tell my guy everything. Secondly, you guys are in a double room at the inn and I highly doubt Jess is spending much time on the floor. Well, unless you're down there too."

"Aw, geez!" said Jess in almost perfect unison with Luke.

Rory rang the doorbell and shushed her mom at the same time. This conversation would have to stop once the grandparents were present. Even Lorelai would never say such things about Rory with Emily and Richard listening in.

"Hey, we're the family unit," said Lorelai herself to the unfamiliar maid who answered the door.

They were ushered inside and their coats taken, before the maid let them know Mr and Mrs Gilmore were waiting in the living room. Jess took a deep breath and received a much-appreciated pat on the back from Luke as they headed on in.

The welcome was relatively friendly, all hand-shakes and smiles. Jess got the feeling that Richard liked him from the get-go but that Emily had her doubts. He wasn't sure if she was just like that with everybody, as Lorelai suggested, or if she had reservations about him specifically for some reason. Thankfully, all the attention seemed to be on Rory to begin with as the grandparents pumped her for information on her work at the paper and her life in New York. Jess was mentioned very rarely and even less attention was paid to him, until they were sat around he dinner table waiting for dessert to be brought out.

"And what is it that you do for a living, young man?" Richard asked Jess.

"He's a writer too," said Rory quickly. "Not a journalist like me, but a real author of novels!" she enthused.

"An author of novels?" said her grandfather, his interest piqued.

"Only two so far," said Jess, feeling kind of self-conscious with the whole table staring at him. "They've both done pretty well though, so I can't complain."

"And he's working on a third" said Rory with a smile. "He won't let me read any of it yet, but I know it'll be great."

"What exactly does 'pretty well' mean?" asked Emily with a scathing look as she sipped her wine.

"'The Subsect' made the New York Times Best Seller list," explained Jess. "Number eight at it's highest point. 'In Black and White' went in at six and climbed to four after Rory's article."

"You wrote an article about his book?" asked Richard, taking a moment to smile at the maid as she served the dessert.

"Er, yeah, that's actually how we met," his granddaughter explained. "I interviewed Jess about his writing career... Did I not send you a copy of the article?"

Richard looked thoughtful. Lorelai started to rifle in her purse.

"Here," she said eventually, passing a scrap of newspaper to her father, via Luke who was sat in between.

Richard adjusted his glasses on his nose and made a big deal of reading the newspaper clipping with interest. Emily looked baffled.

"You carry pieces of the paper in your purse?" she asked Lorelai.

"Only the parts that Rory wrote, and mostly only the latest one or two articles," she explained. "You never know who might want to see it. Like Dad, for example," she smiled widely, daring Emily to say she was crazy.

She didn't.

"This is high quality writing, young lady," said Richard then, addressing Rory with a proud smile. "The way you speak about these books, I'm quite intrigued. I may have to purchase them myself."

"I'll appreciate the money," Jess joked - everyone around the table chuckled, even Emily raised a smile. "But seriously, I can get you copies if you really want them. I mean, you're Rory's family so it wouldn't exactly be right to have you pay."

"Well, how very decent of you, Jess," said Richard as he handed Rory's article back down the table. "I wonder, do I qualify for signed copies since I have met the author in person?"

"Sure," Jess nodded, not entirely sure if Rory's grandpa was kidding or not.

Either way, he seemed to be making a good impression on Richard, if not Emily. That was no bad thing and Rory sure did look happy about it. Maybe this trip to Connecticut really had been a good idea after all.

_To Be Continued..._


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: This chapter is mostly self-indulgence. Forgive me?**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 21

The week passed a little too quickly for Rory's taste, but then that was always the way when she was back in Stars Hollow. As much as it felt as if they had barely arrived before they begun talking about leaving again, it was hard now to imagine having ever been in the Hollow without Jess. As unlikely as it seemed in the beginning, he just fit right in. All the friends and neighbours got to know him and to love him in their own ways. Rory wasn't sure if that stemmed from Jess himself or from his connections. The fact they were dating would encourage the townsfolk to be nice, but then so would his being Luke's nephew. Certainly, Jess and Luke had both made an effort to work past what came before and be friends of a kind. Rory and Lorelai both greatly appreciated that, and had said as much several times now.

"You're doing it again," said Jess as he and Rory walked down the street with their arms around each other.

"Doing what?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Thinking so hard that you're going to hurt yourself," he smirked.

Rory laughed and shook her head. "I was just thinking how well you fit in here. I mean, it's been one week and everybody loves you already. You helped out at the diner a couple of times, you totally charmed my mom and Sookie at the inn. Babette thinks you're the best thing ever since you got her cat out of that tree, and Miss Patty was heard to say she would happily make you husband number six if I hadn't already snagged you."

"This is an insane asylum of a town," he said with a smile he couldn't help. "But it's not so bad. Some good came out of it, that's for sure," he said, looking down at her with an expression that could only be described as loving.

Rory blushed furiously and glanced away. Even now she couldn't take a compliment like that from him. She didn't know why and in some ways she was almost glad. That overwhelming feeling that came upon her when she was with Jess, she had become accustomed to it and hoped it never went away. It was intoxicating.

"I was wondering before, how things might've been if you lived here," she said then. "Luke said that your mom talked about sending you here, when you were a teenager."

"When I was seventeen," he agreed, staring off into the distance as they kept on walking. "It wasn't a good time in my life."

"I'm sorry," she sympathised, gazing up at his blank expression. "I was just thinking what teen Jess might've been like; wondering if we would've dated back then."

The mask broke as he laughed at the very idea of what she was suggesting.

"Seriously? Not a chance," he told Rory, still chuckling. "I was such a little punk back then. Screwed up does not even begin to cover it," he shook his head. "And from what you've told me, and what I've heard around this leafy little hamlet of yours, you were way too much the Little Miss Goody-Goody type back then."

"Maybe a little," she confessed. "I'll bet I would've liked you anyway."

"I probably would've liked you too," he considered, looking down into her eyes. "But I think it's better we met when we did, when I had my life together. Probably a lot less drama than if we'd met aged seventeen, trust me."

Rory nodded that he was probably right, and accepted the kiss he gave her with a smile. Still, as they continued on towards Lane and Zach's place to hang out a while, Rory couldn't help musing on what teen Jess and teen Rory would've made of each other. Maybe things wouldn't have been easy, but she didn't doubt for a moment that she would've been attracted to him, and that maybe he would've liked her too. She supposed they would never know for sure.

* * *

"So, Jess seems nice," said Lane with a genuine smile.

She and Rory were in the bedroom with the twins, who both required changing, whilst Jess and Zach hung out together in the living room. Conversation out there seemed a little stilted, but the girls decided that leaving the guys alone was safe enough and may even lead to a blossoming friendship. They hoped it were true more than they really believed it.

"I'm not sure Jess would approve of the adjective 'nice'," said Rory thoughtfully. "Actually, I'm not sure any guy would, but he is pretty darn great," she enthused with a wide grin.

"Well, I still think he's nice," Lane said definitely, finishing up redressing Kwan and picking him up into her arms. "And you two are going to grow up to be nice guys too, if you know what's good for you," she told both the baby she held and his brother who was sat in Rory's lap.

"There is no question in my mind that you are going to raise two very nice guys, Lane," her friend assured. "And darn cute too!" she told baby Steve who giggled and clapped when she fussed him.

Lane put Kwan down on the rug where he could safely play and Steve soon wanted to join his brother so Rory let him down too. Lane moved up closer to her best friend, an excitable tone in her voice when she spoke that reminded Rory so much of when they were high school teens.

"So, what's it been? Five weeks? That got serious pretty fast."

"You're not kidding," Rory agreed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I don't know how to explain it now any more than when we talked about it before. Thankfully Jess seems to be as bowled over by the whole thing as I am. Neither of us ever expected all this to come from one interview."

"I don't know, I kind of wondered if there would be a little pleasure after the business," said Lane with a giggle she just couldn't hold in, especially when Rory looked so scandalised. "Oh come on, Rory! You were practically a walking billboard for the guy's first book. I remember you talking about nothing but 'The Subsect' for weeks after you read it."

Rory blushed terribly at the memory. "I guess I fan-girled pretty hard," she admitted. "But Jess is just that good at writing."

"And at other stuff too, apparently," countered Lane, her eyes sparkling with fun.

Immediately, Rory shushed her, mindful of the guys hearing anything untoward from the next room.

"In the words of my mother 'dirty!'," she scolded Lane, but her friend only laughed.

"Come on, we're grown ups now. We've both done what comes naturally to those in love. Hello, married with twins!" she said, waving her wedding ring in Rory's face. "I know a thing or two about sex these days."

"I remember you telling me that after the disaster that was the first time, you were never, ever doing that again," said Rory with a look.

"Yeah, well. The first time was flukey," admitted Lane. "Both the badness and the surprise pregnancy that came out of it were very, very flukey, thankfully. Not that I don't love the boys, obviously, but I would've maybe liked a little time to get used to married life before motherhood came and smacked me around the head."

"That's where it smacked you?" Rory smirked.

"Okay, now it's your turn to get the Lorelai-patented 'dirty!'."

They both laughed at that and then again at the twins as they seemed to have their own conversation of nonsense, since speaking was not on the agenda for either of them yet. Rory was just watching the kids play when Lane suddenly elbowed her in the ribs and started in on the Jess-based conversation again.

"You didn't tell me about Friday Night Dinner yet!" she gasped. "What did the great Emily and Richard think of Jess?"

"Um, they liked him," said Rory thoughtfully. "Grandpa was very impressed that I was dating someone as highbrow as a best selling author. He's never read 'The Subsect', but Jess offered to send him a copy, signed if he wanted. I think he may have been joking about that last part but Grandpa was so enthusiastic he may actually have to do it now," she smiled. "Grandma was... Well, I think there was a little pre-judging."

"That is Emily's raison d'etre," Lane considered, and Rory couldn't argue.

"Well, as accepting as she has become of Luke, I think she was wary of the fact Jess was related to a guy who runs a diner," she said, rolling her eyes. "But Jess was amazing. He complimented the house and the food, nodded and smiled in all the right places, making it almost impossible for Grandma to find any fault with him. It was pretty cool."

"Wow. So Jess gives good grandparent. If he can tame the Emily-beast, then I'm pretty sure he's a keeper." Lane grinned.

"I'd say so," Rory agreed easily. "He, er... Well, there has been some actual 'I love yous' said this week."

"Oh my God!" gasped Lane, hands shooting up to her mouth a moment. "That's... Rory, that's crazy and amazing and... Wow, I am so happy for you!"

"Me too," agreed Rory as her friend hugged her tight. "I mean, I know it's super-fast, but it just feels right. You know how it just feels right sometimes?"

"That I do know." Lane nodded. "Zach was so not the obvious choice for me, I am all aware of that, but when you know, you know," she shrugged. "I can't imagine being with anybody else."

"Me either," said Rory. "Jess is just... He's what I want."

"I can see that. It's like... like you're lit up from the inside," said Lane thoughtfully. "I mean, you were happy before, by yourself, and also with Logan and with Dean, but this is different. There is a definite glow about you, Miss Gilmore. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the one."

"Honestly? I kinda think I agree with you," said Rory, smiling so wide her face ached.

The conversation came to an abrupt halt when suddenly loud guitar playing emanated from the other room. Lane frowned, reaching down to grab Steve, asking Rory to pick up Kwan as she went for the door. The girls headed out to the living room only to find Zach playing the opening riff to 'Smoke on the Water' for Jess who was shaking his head.

"I'm not saying it's not iconic, I'm just saying it's not really the classic everybody says it is," he told Zach the moment he was done playing. "It's too simplistic and way over-played."

"Simplistic?" argued Zach. "This from the guy who digs The Ramones. Dude, their lyrics were super-repetitive."

"I agree, but their sound was unique, and that's what we're talking about," countered Jess. "If we're going to get into lyrics that is a whole other conversation. Where do you stand on The Clash?"

"Dude, Strummer was a total legend!" Zach declared, retaking his seat as the pair talked animatedly.

Perhaps it wasn't really an argument they had been having, just a difference of opinion. It all seemed very friendly now. Rory had been a little worried about bringing Jess to meet Lane, not because she didn't think the two of them would get along, but moreover because Zach probably wasn't an obvious friend for Jess. Now they had gotten onto a topic they both loved, things seemed to be good.

"Wow," said Rory quietly. "They're really bonding."

"Unexpected, but good to see," replied Lane, nodding her head. "It would have been way too awkward if your guy and my guy couldn't get along."

"Agreed," Rory nodded, though a sad look came over her face in the very next moment that she couldn't help.

It was great that Jess could get along with Zach because it made it easier when Rory wanted to visit Lane. Unfortunately, that thought was just a reminder that this particular visit to the Hollow was almost over.

Rory had really enjoyed this past week, seeing her mom, Luke, Lane, and everybody else, plus getting the chance to introduce Jess to her home town and all her assorted friends and family. Tomorrow they would be headed home. One last lunch with Luke and Lorelai and then on the road back to NYC. It made Rory feel sad, but then Jess looked up and saw her there, smiling widely at her with so much love in his eyes. It was impossible not to smile back and feel so much better about heading back towards her other home, with the man she loved.

_To Be Continued..._


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Time for our favourite couple to head back to NYC, but the fun's not over yet :)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see Chapter 1)**_

Chapter 22

Saying goodbye to her mom never got any easier, Rory ought to have known that would never change. As much as she loved her job and her life in New York, Stars Hollow was home, and Lorelai was her best friend as much as her mother. Then there was Luke, Lane, and all the other townsfolk. It was always a wrench to leave, even now when she was headed off into the sunset with the best possible boyfriend at her side. Jess was the man she loved, Rory was more than certain on that than ever right now. It did help that he was heading back to New York with her, that he had been here in the Hollow getting to know everyone else that mattered so much to her. The two halves of her life had now merged in the best possible way and she couldn't be happier about that. It still hurt to leave though, always.

For once, Rory was awake early on a Sunday morning. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with those she loved most, namely her mom and Luke, before she had to leave them behind again. Jess drove over to the Crap Shack but when they pulled up outside, Rory didn't seem awfully eager to get out of the car.

"You okay?"

"Yes and no. I know it probably sounds crazy, but I just think that if I don't get out of the car then this won't be our last day. I won't have to say goodbye again."

Tears welled in Rory's eyes as she explained it all to Jess, and she felt so stupid to realise it. He didn't laugh, he didn't judge, not that she really expected him to. His arm went around her shoulders, pulling her close. He kissed her cheek.

"You're not crazy," he promised her. "I have to admit, I never really had a place like this, a home that I could miss, y'know? But this town really grows on a person. I'm almost sorry to leave myself," he admitted.

A burst of laughter escaped from Rory's lips, because it did sound a little strange. Jess wasn't a family person or even a people person at all, and yet he loved the Hollow already. Rory would like to think that mostly he loved it because he loved her, either way, it felt nice knowing that he wasn't exactly thrilled to be leaving today either.

"I love you, Jess Mariano," she said, meeting his eyes. "And I love that you came home with me for this week."

"It's been cool." He shrugged as if it were no big deal, leaning in to kiss her lips. "Now, you got us both out of bed stupidly early so you could spend the maximum number of minutes with your mom and Luke. We should really get out of the car and into the house already."

"Agreed!" Rory smiled as they both disembarked.

Lorelai was overjoyed to have her baby girl in the house. She hugged her so tight Rory swore her ribs were going to break and yet neither seemed eager to let go any time soon. This was it, just a few more hours together, and then they were reduced to emails and phone calls again until the wedding came around in June. Three months had never felt like such a long time.

"Well, I could maybe manage a couple of weekends before then," Rory considered. "But you know how it is with work, I never really know what I'm going to be doing or where I might be."

"And you have other priorities to consider now too," said Lorelai, winking at Jess.

He said nothing because it seemed the safest option, grateful to hide himself behind the drink that Luke brought out to him from the kitchen. The guys shared the couch and got to talking about New York and Jess' writing. Honestly, it was good to be on any topic that wasn't decidedly girly. Lorelai and Rory actually ended up in Rory's old bedroom for quite some time, presumably talking about the guys, though they swore they were just comparing wardrobe choices and the such like. Neither Jess nor Luke bought that for a second.

It was a couple of hours later when Luke tapped on the door and let the girls know he was going to make a start on lunch. Lorelai called that they promised to be out in the next ten minutes.

"That's a female ten minutes, so probably like a half hour, minimum," he said to Jess in a low voice.

"That sounds right," he agreed with a smile. "You want any help with lunch?" he offered then.

"Um, sure" Luke nodded, pulling things from the fridge. "I mean, you wanna do a little chopping and stuff?"

"Hand me a knife and point me at a vegetable," he said easily.

Luke smiled and did just that.

* * *

"Oh my God, that was delicious!" Rory declared as she finished off dessert and dropped her spoon into the empty dish with a clatter. "Luke, your pie is the best in Connecticut."

"The best in the continental United States, easy," Lorelai corrected her.

"Amen," agreed Jess. "And I'm really not a dessert person."

"But you peel a mean apple," said Lorelai with a grin.

By the time she and Rory had emerged from their extended girly chat, Jess had got done with the vegetable prep and Luke had the meat half cooked. They were in the middle of putting the finishing touches to an apple pie, which the four of them had pretty much completely polished off, with ice cream, for dessert. Now they were all stuffed but very happy and content, at least until Rory caught sight of the time on Jess' watch.

"We have to go soon," she said sadly.

"If we want to be home at a decent hour, I guess we do," he agreed, though he hated to do it.

Rory looked so disappointed that the trip was over. Quite honestly, Jess was sad to leave too. He hadn't been lying when he told Rory that Stars Hollow had grown on him. He wans't sure he would want to live here forever and ever, but he could stand a few more days, maybe even a few weeks before he missed the city life too much. In truth, Jess was pretty sure he could live anywhere at all and learn to love it if Rory was with him.

Luke got up to clear the table, and Lorelai started the tearful goodbye in style, giving her daughter another huge hug and telling her more than once to remember to call and email and let her know every detail of her life. From what Jess could tell, the two of them did that constantly anyway.

It was a little weird to him, to see a mother and daughter so very close, but Jess had no idea what normal was when it came to parents and kids. Certainly his relationship with his mother was not what one would expect between mother and son. He actually hadn't talked to her at all in the last five years. It was the one topic he and Luke had been careful about breaching. In the end, his uncle had told Jess that if he ever wanted the latest number for Liz to ask him, but that he would never pressure him to make amends. Jess appreciated that a lot and said as much too.

Now it was time to part company, and though their reunion had been a frosty one, Jess was kind of sad to leave his uncle behind. Luke had proven to be a decent guy, just as Rory had always told him. He was genuinely sorry for seemingly abandoning Jess all those years ago, just not realising what an impact his absence had really had. He certainly seemed to want to make up for it now.

"Take care of yourself, Jess," he told him, as the four stood together on the front porch. "I can honestly say it was a pleasure getting to know the man that my little nephew has grown up to become," he smiled.

"Thanks," he replied, swallowing hard. "You, er... You take care too, okay?"

It wasn't quite 'I love you' but guys rarely said that kind of thing anyway, no matter how closely they might be related or otherwise bonded. Still, it had become clear to both Rory and Lorelai over the past week that Luke and Jess had rebuilt some of the bridges that had burned down so many years ago. It was both a releif and a joy to realise it.

Jess put out his hand for Luke to shake and he grasped it firmly. In a moment he had taken the risk of pulling his nephew into a manly hug, and Jess surprised even himself when he let it happen and even hugged Luke back.

"I hope we're going to see you at the wedding," said Luke hopefully as they parted a few moments later.

"Wouldn't miss it," Jess assured him with a smile.

He stepped back as Luke moved to hug Rory then, kissing the top of her head.

"Bye, Luke" she said tearfully. "Bye, Mom," she said one more time, grasping her hands even as she backed down the porch steps.

Jess put his arm around Rory's shoulders as they headed for the car. She was trying her best to hold it together, whether for her mother's benefit or his own, Jess couldn't be sure, but the effort could only last so long. They were barely out of sight from the house when Rory stopped waving and entirely broke down.

"Hey, you'll be back soon," Jess assured her, though he couldn't do much else when he had to keep control of the car.

"I know," she sniffed hard, wiping her face with the backs of her hands. "I know, and I'll be fine, I swear," she told him. "It just always hits me so hard when I leave. I get over it pretty fast, don't worry."

Rory moved to turn up the radio and put her face towards the passenger window. Jess had considered pulling over and giving her a hug, helping her to feel better, but it seemed she had her own way of dealing and this was it. As such, he let Rory do what she wanted, concentrated on driving, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel to the rhythm of Elastica's Car Song.

They were a few miles down the road when Rory seemed to return to her normal happy state. She didn't say anything but she began humming along to the radio and when they stopped at the next set of lights, her hand found Jess' on the gear shift and she gave him a winning smile. She was going to be just fine.

* * *

When they hit the city proper, Jess asked Rory whether they were headed for her place or his. It was a tough decision but in the end she had opted for her own apartment.

"Not that I wouldn't love to spend more time with you, but I have work tomorrow and probably a whole bunch of emails I should catch up on before then," she explained.

Jess was disappointed but he did understand. He never really had to have a work ethic like that, at least, not since he started writing for a living. Rory had the nine to five thing going on, only the hours weren't as strictly ruled as that. She worked hard, he knew, but she also loved her job. As disappointed as she was to have to leave the Hollow, her eyes lit up when she talked about going back to work. That wasn't nothing.

Arriving outside her block, Jess told Rory to go on ahead and he would bring her bags. Like most women, Rory did not pack light and toting the large suitcase and two other bags up the steps wasn't the easiest thing he had ever done, which was why he didn't argue when Rory offered to at least carry one of the bags into the elevator.

When all Rory's things were safely in her apartment, Jess hovered by the door with his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling like he didn't know what to do. It was some comfort when Rory turned to face him and expressed similar concerns.

"This is weird," she declared, pushing her hair back from her face. "I mean, for more than a week we've been in the same place, same bed. It's so strange having to say goodbye to you, even for a day."

"C'mere," said Jess, taking his hands from his pockets to reach for her then.

His hands cupped her face as he pulled her close and kissed her lips. He knew exactly what she meant because he was feeling exactly the same way. Being together almost all of the time these past nine days, knowing that now it could be a day, two, maybe even the better part of a week before she was in his arms again, it made Jess want to drink in every drop of his precious Rory. It made him never want to let her go.

"Jess," she gasped as he kissed her over and over. "I can't catch my breath."

"That's the idea," he told her, not letting up the assault on her senses.

Rory wasn't sure she would have argued if she could breathe, it felt too good not to let him carry on. It was strange to think of waking up alone, even though it had been little more than a week since she began sharing a bed with Jess so regularly. Maybe he shouldn't stay tonight, but for right now, Rory was not prepared to let him go. Stepping backwards with the bedroom on her mind, she almost fell over the suitcase on the floor. If not for Jess' fast reactions in catching her they both might have gone sprawling.

"Don't go yet," she urged him, holding on tight. "Jess?"

"Wasn't planning on it," he promised, already helping her out of her jacket.

"Good," she sighed against his lips, pulling his shirt out of his pants, carefully backing up towards the bedroom around the luggage this time.

They barely made it to the bed before passion overtook them.

* * *

"That was not getting my emails checked," said Rory, breathing heavily still as she lay sated in Jess' arms.

"Nope, definitely never heard it called that," he agreed with a smirk, kissing the top of her head. "But that is something you need to do now, right?"

"No," Rory lied out-right, burying her face in his chest.

"Liar!" he teased her, encouraging her to meet his eyes. "You know I have to go. As much as I wish I didn't have to..."

She moved to capture his mouth before he could say another word, knowing that he was right and hating it. Leaving her hometown to come back had been hard but then it always was. Letting Jess out of her sight for more than a few short hours seemed to cause equally as much pain right now.

"Can't I keep you here forever?" she whispered into their kiss.

"Literally here?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. "'Cause I thought I meant a little more to you than just a sex slave," he teased her.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" she countered, smirking just as wickedly as he ever could.

They shared one more kiss and then Jess made himself move away. If he didn't go now then he might never make it out the door. Rory's job could not be jeopardised because of their over-active libidos, not even by their love for each other. The disappointed sound she made when they parted almost drove Jess right back into her arms, but he couldn't do it.

"One of us has to be strong here," he told her, retrieving his pants from the floor and slipping into them. "Believe me, it's shocking to me that I'm the one with the will-power in this situation, because you are making it hard for me," he said with a deliberate double-entendre. "But you have work, I have work. The days will pass quickly and we will see each other again very, very soon," he promised, leaning over the bed when his shirt was buttoned and planting one last soft kiss on Rory's lips.

"Thank you," she told him then. "For coming to Stars Hollow. For... for being the great person that is you," she smiled, not knowing how else to put across what she was feeling right now.

"Trust me, I'm only this great because of you," he told her seriously. "And you are way more special than I could ever hope to be," he promised. "Now, work and sleep," he told her like a mock-order.

"Yes, sir," Rory saluted him before laughter overtook her. "I'll email tomorrow."

"I'll call the day after," he promised, and then he was gone.

Rory was sad to see him go, but honestly, this wasn't so much an end as it was a beginning, she realised. She and Jess were in love and they were together. Sure, there would be days when they just couldn't see each other, but there would be plenty of times when they could. After a little more than a month, she wasn't sure how she could ever be happier than this. Rory wondered how she was going to bear the thrill of it all if life got any better, but she sure would like to find out.

_To Be Continued..._


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: A little time skip here, because it felt necessary. Lots of cute Literati though, so no worries there. Mostly unadulterated fluff... again. You gettin' bored of this yet? Geez, I hope not! :)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 23

It lasted. Rory wasn't quite sure in the beginning where her relationship with Jess Mariano was going. It seemed amazing how fast they had fallen in love, how easily everything seemed to come together. As much as Rory wanted to believe they were in this for the long haul, there was always a little speck of worry somewhere deep inside her. Perhaps because things were so good, surely something had to go wrong? Not so far.

Three weeks on from their return from Stars Hollow, and still nothing terrible had derailed the romance. Whilst in her home town, Rory had introduced Jess to her mother, her grandparents, and all her friends. She had even re-introduced him to Luke, the uncle who had effectively abandoned Jess as a child. That was the one time when things could've got awkward, but still Jess and Rory remained strong, and now the two most important guys in Rory's life had a decent familial relationship once again.

Today, Rory had taken the morning off work, without a word to Jess. She headed out early to a familiar spot with only one thing on her mind. It was the fifteenth of April, and to everybody else that meant just a regular Tuesday, nothing special. For Rory, today had particular significance, and that was why she had begged for the morning off work.

Stepping into the café with the biggest grin on her face, she found Tyler still getting the coffee machine going, and hardly any customers to speak of in the place yet.

"Hey, Rory," he said, smiling at her from behind the counter.

"Hey, Tyler. Thank you so much for your help with this," she enthused as she walked on over and perched herself on a stool. "I appreciate it."

"Who could say no to those eyes?" he said with a wink, turning away then to get her a coffee.

Rory did her best not to blush, but honestly, it never did come easy. Jess made fun of her sometimes, in the nicest possible way, because just about any kind of compliment or slightly suggestive comment brought colour to her cheeks. He also found it highly amusing that Rory didn't seem to understand that plenty of guys found her attractive, including Tyler. It wasn't a bad feeling, knowing that somebody liked her, but Rory was never a hundred percent comfortable with guys paying her compliments. She was getting used to it with her boyfriend, but other people was another story.

Tyler was sweet though. Maybe he didn't look like he would be, what with all the tattoos and piercings, but he wasn't so tough. Rory reconsidered that statement as it swam through her brain. Perhaps Tyler was tough, but he wasn't mean or anything. He had jumped at the chance to help with her plan for today when she asked him.

"You're really good for him. You know that, right?" he said now as he presented her with her coffee. "Jess is cool, but the guy has issues. Anybody with eyes could see what a loner he was, and also that he never wanted to be. You're what he needs."

"I don't know about that." Rory shrugged, stirring her coffee around in the cup so she had something else to focus on. "I seem to be what he wants right now, and that's pretty cool, because I can't imagine my life without him anymore. Is that corny?" she asked, glancing up through her lashes.

Tyler shook his head then leaned in a little closer, his arms resting on the counter top. "Honestly? If I could get what you guys have? Man, my life would be made."

Rory felt sad then. Somebody as nice as Tyler should have a woman to share his life with and it sucked that he didn't have the love that she and Jess had found together. In a moment of bravery that didn't often strike for Rory, she let her hand fall over Tyler's own and patted it in a comforting and friendly way.

"You'll get it, Tyler," she told him. "I know you will."

He smiled at her then, the kind of smile that could melt a woman's insides, if her heart didn't already belong to another. Honestly, even in her situation, Rory couldn't help feeling something as a result of a look like that. There really was no reason at all why Tyler shouldn't have girls queuing around the block to date him.

"Your booth is all set, right over there," he said then, pointing to the very spot.

Rory thanked him again, gathered up her stuff and moved on over. Tyler had placed a reserved sign on the table, even though it was highly unlikely anyone would've tried to snag it so early. She had called Tyler last week to ask if it would be okay to get the booth held just in case. He was more than willing to help her out, being a friend of Jess and more recently of Rory herself.

Sliding into the booth, Rory checked her watch and smiled. Any minute now and Jess would come walking in the door. Tyler had called him a little while back saying he needed a favour and asking Jess to come over around eight. It was all a ruse, of course. He was actually coming here to meet Rory, he just didn't know it yet.

"I know it's none of my business" said Tyler as he wandered over with a cup of coffee all ready for Jess and brought the pot to refill Rory's cup too. "But, you're not gonna propose or somethin', are you?" he checked.

Rory burst out laughing so suddenly she startled a couple of other patrons, despite the fact they were the full length of the room away from her. It wasn't that she didn't love Jess enough to commit to him, but the very idea of asking him to marry her seemed so crazy. After just two months and with her being so embarrassed by the littlest of things. Actually proposing to a guy, Rory wasn't sure she ever could. Jess would probably... Well, actually, Rory wasn't quite sure what Jess would do, but it still sounded pretty nuts to think about it.

"No. No proposals," she promised Tyler, getting a hold of herself. "I just thought it'd be nice, to be here on our two month anniversary. It's sweet, right?"

"Sure." Tyler nodded just as the door opened with the jingle of bells. "Show time," he whispered then before turning to walk away.

"Hey, Tyler," said Jess as he approached his friend and held out a hand to shake in greeting. "Rory's in the booth where we had our interview, right?" he smirked, looking over Tyler's shoulder at Rory herself.

Her mouth fell open with surprise and Tyler turned to see it. "Sorry, sweetheart," said with a sigh. "This guy's just too smart for us."

Jess was still smirking as he moved to join Rory in the booth, taking a sip of the coffee that was already there waiting for him.

"Didn't Lorelai ever tell you that if the wind changes you'll stick like that?"

"How did you know?" said Rory at last.

"That you'd be here? On the day of our two month anniversary? At the very time that we met?" he questioned with a smile. "I didn't, not for sure anyway." Jess shook his head. "But when Tyler asked for a favour but wouldn't tell me what it was, this early, on a very particular date, I kind of put it together."

"You are very smart," said Rory, sighing as if it were almost a shame.

"Not just a pretty face," agreed Jess. "Although I'm wondering if I really want to be describing myself as pretty."

"I think you're very pretty," Rory teased him, giggling at his expression. "And I'm glad we met here two months ago."

"Best interview I ever had," he told her easily, leaning over the table and encouraging her to do the same until their lips met in a sweet kiss. "You want your present now?"

"Present?" asked Rory as they parted. "I didn't... I just thought we'd have the surprise coffee date, I... Um, was I supposed to get you a present?"

"Hey, stop freaking out," said Jess, trying not to laugh at her usual panicked ramble. "You didn't break a rule or anything, and I didn't exactly _buy_ you a present either," he explained, digging in his bag that was on the seat next to him. Finally, he pulled out a large wad of pages all secured together neatly.

Rory's eyes were wide as anything, her fingers creeping onto the paper and turning it to face her. The front page was mostly blank except for a few words in the centre.

"Seas of Blue by Jess Mariano" she read aloud, fingers tracing the words like Braille. "You finished?"

"First draft," he said, nodding his head. "Fastest I ever got a story onto a page, but then I got me the best muse ever around about two months ago," he smiled, though he was barely looking at her when he said it.

Rory felt her cheeks burn but couldn't care. Jess had finished a book that she herself had inspired, however inadvertently. That was a pretty special thing, and it seemed that he had tried his best to get it all done for today, to present to her here in this moment, exactly two months since they first met.

"You printed it out for me to read," she said, a statement not a question because it was clear that was exactly what he had done.

"I know how you feel about e-readers and everything."

"The same way you feel about them."

"Exactly. Nothing compares to the written word on pages you can actually turn. It's part of the experience. Super-bright LEDs and modern technology are great for movies, but a book should be like this."

His hand covered Rory's own on top of the manuscript, his fingers gripping onto hers. Rory met Jess' eyes and she got the distinct feeling that they weren't just talking about stories anymore. _A book should be like this_. Their meeting and falling in love the way they had, it did sometimes feel a little like a fairytale. It was why Rory sometimes worried that things just had to go wrong sometime soon. Nobody's real life relationship happened this fast and ran this smooth.

"Rory?" he asked worriedly when her expression looked less happy.

"Thank you," she told him immediately, a smile returning to her lips. "Seriously, Jess, this is... It's amazing."

"Yeah, well. So are you," he replied easily. "I, er... I was thinking, I should let Chris and Matt know that I got this far with the story. As much as I trust your editing skills, I kinda have to let them make their notes too. When it comes to my writing, the guys never let me down..."

"Of course they should see it, said Rory definitely. "They've been with you from the beginning, with getting you published and all. It's only right that they have a hand in this book."

"I could go straight to the so-called professional editors that the big publishing house provides," said Jess, pushing his hair back from his face. "But honestly? I can't trust them with anything that hasn't gone past Matt and Chris first. They have my back."

Rory had a very strange smile on her face that Jess couldn't quite read. They had got pretty good at knowing what each either was thinking in such a short time, but right now, Jess couldn't fathom what was on her mind. The only way to know, it seemed, would be to ask.

"What?"

"Nothing, really," she shook her head. "I was just thinking, Truncheon is your Stars Hollow."

Jess frowned at the oddness of what she just said, so Rory felt the need to explain further.

"You weren't born and raised in Philly, but when you need help or advice, your automatic reaction is to go to Truncheon, see Matt and Chris. You trust them with your innermost thoughts, you have to, or you wouldn't hand over your manuscripts to them. You said yourself, they've had your back from the start of your writing career. All the bigwigs can give your book better coverage and all, but they're just names and faces. Matt and Chris are your friends, your family in a way, right?"

"I guess." Jess shrugged. "I mean, I don't exactly go around thinking of them as my brothers or anything, but... but they could be. They're more family to me than anybody else I ever had traipse through my life and out the other side without a thought."

Rory looked away and Jess winced as he realised why.

"That wasn't a dig at Luke. You know he and I figured things out."

"I know," Rory agreed. "And I know you didn't mean it that way. Honestly? I'm just glad you have somebody that you can turn to, people who are always there. I mean, you have me, you know that, and as much as I sometimes feel like we're the only two people in the world, and that's great at the time, sometimes you need other people. I don't mean because I'm going anywhere but just-"

Jess moved from his side of the booth to Rory's and covered her ever-rambling lips with his own in a searing kiss. By the time it was over, she had completely lost her train of thought and didn't even care.

"I love that you care that much," said Jess, tucking Rory's hair behind her ear. "And I know what you were trying to say, even if you weren't saying it very clearly." he smirked.

"I'm perfectly fine at finding exactly the right words when I'm writing, even when I'm talking, most of the time," said Rory thoughtfully. "Two months in and you still have this strange way of turning my head upside down. Weirdest part is, I kind of like it."

"Good," Jess nodded once, claiming another kiss. "Because I don't intend on going anywhere any time soon"

"Good," she replied in kind, kissing him this time. "Because I don't either."

_To Be Continued..._


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Am I losing momentum? Are you guys getting bored? Geez, I hope neither is true. Oh well, I'm going to keep on going, get this thing wrapped up before Christmas. That's the aim for this and for The Kids Are Alright, just so you know.**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 24

"So, everything's pretty much set. I have the dress, Luke has the suit. The venue is booked, Sookie has the food under control. I even let Mom pitch in a little on some of the arrangements, just to stop her bawling me out for keeping her at arm's length! It's all going good, hon," Lorelai enthused.

"I'm so happy for you, Mom. You know that, right?" said Rory with the biggest of grins on her face. "You and Luke, it's not been a smooth ride, I know, but it always had to end this way, with the two of you getting married. Sounds like it's going to be one heck of a wedding."

"You got that right, babe" her mother agreed. "Seven weeks. I can hardly wait!"

"Seven weeks!" Rory echoed. "Wow, time has really flown. You think you'll get the bridesmaids dresses done in time?"

"Yours will be a sinch," Lorelai promised. "Double-checking your measurements when you were here really helped me out, but April is tougher. I'm going off numbers Anna sent me, and I get a sense she feels the need to exaggerate here and drop an inch elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the shape of April, but methinks her mom is sensitive about it."

"I'm sure it'll all work out. Will April get a fitting at all?"

"She's supposed to be coming up for a weekend pretty soon. Hopefully I'll have enough of her dress done that we can test the sizing and style on her. Meh, it'll be fine."

"You and your crazy positive thinking!" Rory laughed lightly, closing the door on the washer/dryer.

She had always been good at multi-tasking and it was no hardship at all to catch up with her mom whilst she did her usual weekly chores like the laundry and tidying up in the apartment. Sure, she ended up with a crick in the neck from constantly holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear, but Rory was almost certain Lorelai was doing the exact same thing, as she either worked at the inn or moved around the house doing similar chores.

"Speaking of positives, how goes it with the handsome novelist? Still good?" asked Lorelai curiously.

"Things are very, very good," Rory confirmed happily. "Well, maybe not two verys, not right now. Jess is away for a few days."

"Away?"

"In Philadelphia. He finished his third novel last week, presented it to me as a gift for our two month anniversary." She smiled so much that Lorelai swore she could hear the expression.

"Wow. That was a smooth move," she replied. "Thoughtful wonderfulness clearly runs in the family."

"I'll say it does," Rory agreed. "And seriously, Mom, this new book is so good. Jess kept on telling me that I was his inspiration for the lead. I'm not sure I see it, but the writing is just... it's just amazing. I never expected anything else from Jess, but it really blows me away."

"Is it dirty?" asked Lorelai.

"Mom!" gasped Rory, making her mother laugh.

"I'm sorry, but you said you were kind of his muse for this one, and you guys are still in that awesome 'can't keep your hands off each other' stage in your relationship, right?"

"I guess," her daughter replied awkwardly.

"So, you can't blame a mom for asking!"

"I can, actually," Rory countered. "And no, it's not dirty. A little hot in places, but totally tasteful."

Lorelai let the topic go then. It wasn't really fair to tease her daughter too much about her sex life. It was kind of fun though.

"So, Jess takes his books to his friends in Philly for the initial edit?" she asked.

"He does," confirmed Rory. "They have professionals at the big publishing houses, but Matt and Chris have had Jess' back from the get go. He trusts them."

"You ever met these guys?"

"Nope. Not yet. Jess wanted me to go along with but I pretty much had deadlines coming out of my ears this week. There was no way I could ask to take Friday off. I even had to work this morning to make up for Tuesday when I took the morning out to be with Jess for our anniversary."

"And we already know that was totally worth the time spent because, hey, new book to read!" said Lorelai with a grin Rory could hear.

"Not just that either," she replied. "He also gave me a key."

"A key?"

"The spare key to Jess' apartment. It is now in my possession," said Rory as she sat down on the couch and pulled her legs up under her body. "I don't know, he said it was for emergencies, and I'm sure that's all it is, but... it kinda felt a lot like commitment. You think that's what it is, Mom?"

"I think so, hon."

Lorelai couldn't keep the smile off her face just knowing how happy Rory must be right now. Probably as happy as she was with Luke and then some. Jess was such a great guy from what she had seen and all that Rory had told her. Lorelai had only ever wanted her little girl's happiness. Her first boyfriend, Dean, had been stable and dependable, but he wasn't enough for Rory, no ambition, no spark. Logan had definitely been the adventurous kind, but he and Rory never seemed like they could or should be for the long haul. He was a little too crazy, too unpredictable, and somewhat selfish. Now there was Jess, who seemed to be the best of both worlds. He was there when Rory needed him and seemed to worship the ground she walked on. At the same time, he wanted to do great things and encouraged Rory to do the same. They could be wild but they kept each other safe too. That was how Lorelai saw it from what she had seen and heard. She liked knowing her daughter had that, because she knew from experience that it was the best.

"You never know, you and Jess could be next down the aisle."

"Mom, it's only been two months," Rory reminded her.

Lorelai smiled to herself.

"Sometimes things take a long time, like with me and Luke, but other times, it's fast," she told her daughter what she ought to already know. "You and Jess are so good together, any fool can see it. Personally, I can't wait to see it again, at my wedding, in only seven weeks time!" she said loudly and joyfully.

Rory actually had to pull the phone away from her ear for a moment so she wasn't deafened. She couldn't blame Lorelai though. Her mom had waited a long time for her happily ever after ending. In just seven weeks she would have her dream wedding with her dream guy, and then they would live together in their dream house for the rest of their lives. Rory genuinely couldn't be happier for her mom and her soon-to-be step-dad. She wasn't sure she could be much happier for herself either.

"Oh, Mom, I have call waiting," she said then. "I think it might be Jess, do you mind-?"

"Go, take it," Lorelai insisted. "Love you, hon."

"Love you too," Rory replied in kind and then hit the button to pick up her waiting call. "Hello?

"Hey, busy girl."

"Jess, hey!" she grinned at the sound of his voice. "How's everything in Philly?"

"Pretty good," he assured her. "Could be better though. I left a couple of things behind when I came here."

"Anything important?" she checked.

"My laptop charger, for one," he explained. "The guys here are Apple crazy so me and my PC are losing power fast. I guess I'll have to buy another one."

"You said a couple of things," said Rory thoughtfully. "What else are you missing?"

Jess smirked to himself. Any other women and he'd say she was fishing for compliments, but that wasn't Rory's style.

"You're a smart girl, Ror," he told her. "You can't guess?"

There was no way she couldn't get it from such an obvious clue. There was also no way she wasn't blushing right now, and Jess knew it.

"I miss you too," she told him with a sigh. "Four days never felt so long. I actually thought..."

"What?" Jess prompted her to continue when her voice drifted away to nothing.

Rory felt almost foolish when she was forced to explain herself. "Well, I got out of work today and I'm stood across the street from the train terminal. I half-considered getting on the train to Philadelphia to come find you," she admitted, not sure what Jess would say to that.

"Why didn't you?" he asked curiously.

"It seemed crazy."

"And usually you're so sane."

"You wish I'd've done it?" Rory checked, her smile returning fast.

"Wouldn't have hated it," Jess admitted. "Chris and Matt would love to meet you."

"I'd love to meet them too," she told him, now seriously considering the plan she had dismissed too easily earlier. She checked her watch and sighed. "It's stupid, even if I left right now, it'd be dinner time before I got there, and I'd have to come back in what? Twenty four hours?"

"I guess you would," agreed Jess, and yet he wasn't telling her not to go.

Rory took a moment to think, but it was hardly long enough for any serious consideration. They both knew where she ought to be right now, and it wasn't alone in her apartment with Jess miles away.

"I'll be there in two hours," she said suddenly getting up.

"Already started the stopwatch," said Jess happily. "Oh, and Ror? As unromantic as it sounds, could you bring the laptop charger with you?" he asked, wincing because he really wasn't sure how she would take the request. "I mean, you have the spare key, and it'll be right there on the shelf under my desk..."

"You only want me to come so you get the charger, don't you?" she teased him, knowing that would never be the case.

"Yes, Rory. The only reason I want you to come to Philly is to charge my computer," he dead-panned the way only Jess could. "And if you believe that, you're certifiably insane."

"I'll be there very soon," she promised, laughing at his joke still. "Love you."

"Love you too," he replied before they both hung up the phone.

Rory threw down her cell and rushed towards her bedroom to pack an overnight bag lightning fast. She had to be crazy to be doing this, but right now she didn't care. All her work was done until Monday morning, and nothing could be better than spending more time with Jess than she had expected. Plus, meeting the famous Matt and Chris would be cool too. The huge grin was back on her face as she pulled Jess' spare key out and held it in her hand. _Commitment_, she thought to herself, and had never been so happy in her life.

It was a half hour later that Rory stepped out of the cab at the block where Jess lived. She asked the driver to give her just five minutes and pelted in through the doors. She had no time to waste if she was going to catch the next train to Philly. Up in the elevator, she was on the correct floor inside a minute and digging in her purse for the key that she had carefully placed in there. It made it all the more infuriating that she couldn't find it now. Finally, Rory realised that in her rush she had put the bag on her shoulder the opposite way around to usual and grabbed the key. When she looked up she got a real surprise, finding a woman loitering between Jess' door and the one opposite.

"Hi," she said warily. "Um, can I help you?"

The other young woman, with rust-coloured hair and a baby seat hanging on one arm, looked at Jess' apartment door and then back at Rory. She shook her head as if thinking over a decision, then finally she spoke.

"I'm sorry," she apologised. "I thought this was Jess Mariano's apartment," she said, gesturing to the locked door.

The tiny baby in the carrier fussed and threw out a tiny fist. Rory swallowed hard. She really didn't like this picture, but she was sure any crazy thoughts in her head right now were completely wrong. She cleared her throat to speak.

"It is," she confirmed. "I was just... Jess is away for a few days," she explained awkwardly. "You want me to give him a message or something?" she asked the woman, though her eyes kept on drifting to the baby somehow.

"Yeah," said the mystery woman stiffly. "Tell him Lena really needs to see him. Tell him maybe sometime he'd like to meet his daughter."

A second later, she was gone.

_To Be Continued..._


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Wow. So a woman shows up saying that Jess fathered her child and suddenly I've got 21 reviews on that chapter alone! lol That was some crazy shock I gave y'all, huh? Well, here's the fall-out, and believe me, Rory is as shocked as you are!**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - Chapter 1)**_

Chapter 25

Rory had a sense that this was what going mad felt like. She couldn't say for sure, but it definitely felt like she was crazy. It was impossible to decide whether to laugh or cry as she stood outside of Jess' apartment, looking down the hall where a woman had just walked away, taking with her a baby she seemed to think was Jess' daughter. Shock meant Rory showed no emotion yet, though her mind was running with thoughts and her heart pounded with a sickeningly fast thump-thump-thump.

Every ten seconds Rory's mind was changing. First she thought that the woman was just lying, then she told herself she couldn't be. Jess was a good guy and a bad guy six times inside of a minute. Right when she really needed to talk to him and he wasn't here. Rory seriously did not know what to do.

A car horn sounded loudly outside the building. It was unlikely to be the cab driver waiting on Rory. He would rather she take more time than less because the clock was running this entire time. Still, it served to remind Rory that there was someone waiting on her, and not just the guy driving the taxi.

"Jess," she said to herself, very unsure right now as to whether she wanted to go to him for answers or to tear him a new one.

Hurrying from the hallway, Rory dove back into the elevator and travelled down to the ground floor. She was out of the doors and into the cab again within a minute, startling the driver with her very sudden appearance and slamming of the rear door.

"You okay, lady?" he asked her, observing her strange expression in the rear-view.

"I'm fine," she replied absently. "Train terminal, please."

"Whatever you say," he agreed, putting the car in gear.

He pretended not to notice the tears that ran down the cheeks of his pretty passenger. Something bad had happened, as it often did to the denizens of New York that graced his cab. Eddie had learnt a long time ago it was sometimes better just to leave people to their own business. If they wanted to talk, he always listened, but somehow Eddie knew this particular young woman wanted to be by herself, so he let her be.

* * *

Jess checked his watch for the eighth time in as many minutes. He half considered heading to the train terminal to surprise Rory but soon changed his mind. He could easily lose her in a crush of people, and that would be pointless. He had given her good directions to Truncheon, she would find it by herself and probably without incident. She would call if she got lost, there was no reason to worry.

"Chris?" said Matt from across the room. "Is it possible to wear out a wrist watch from looking at it too many times?"

"If it is, I think Jess is doing his best to prove it," his friend replied, smiling at the joke they had made.

Jess gave them both the finger one after the other, eyes never leaving the page he was reading. The smirk on his lips proved there was no malice in the sign he gave them. He could joke too. Honestly, he didn't blame them for poking fun. That was what guys did to each other when they got mushy over women, and Jess had to admit that when it came to Rory, he was a little whipped. It was nothing he could explain, it never had been. For all the skills he had as a writer, Jess was sure he could never write down just exactly what he felt for Rory. Words hadn't been invented yet for this feeling, he was certain. Love didn't even begin to cover it.

The door to the book store opened with a jingling of bells. Jess fought the urge to dive from his seat and go see if it was Rory. Instead, he let Chris go, and only got up when he heard her familiar voice.

"Hey," he said as he stepped out into view.

"Hi," replied Rory stiffly, her smile not reaching her eyes.

Immediately, Jess knew something was wrong. Moving towards her, Jess tried to kiss Rory hello but she turned her face away. He might have asked why the cold shoulder if they didn't have an audience, if Rory didn't seem determined to put on show for the guys.

"So, this is Truncheon?" she said, moving away and letting her eyes wander around the store. "And this must be Matt and Chris," she said, looking from one to the other.

"That'd be us" Matt nodded, holding out a hand to shake. "Matt Wright, Chris Collins," he introduced himself and then his friend.

"Rory Gilmore," she replied. "But of course, you already know that," she said, rolling her eyes at her own dumb statement.

"It'd be hard not to," admitted Matt. "You're pretty famous around here. The woman to tame Mariano's heart, make him a one woman man."

"Huh!" The sound came suddenly and unbidden from Rory's throat, making everybody jump.

Jess couldn't see her expression properly whilst she was facing his friends, but still he knew something was very much not right here. Rory had been fine on the phone, excited to come see him and visit with the guys in Philly. Now she seemed different, out of sorts, just not herself somehow. Whatever was up, she clearly wasn't willing to explain for as long as Matt and Chris were there.

"Hey, guys? Could me and Rory use upstairs for a while?" he asked them.

"Sure thing, man," said Chris with a wicked smirk. "We'll give you two lovebirds a little privacy, no problem."

He had completely the wrong idea but Jess couldn't care right now. Grabbing Rory's hand he was only grateful she let him do it, and then he led her to the stairs.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," said Rory as she was led away from Matt and Chris' company.

"You too," said Matt, with a nod. "We'll hang out later, or tomorrow, whatever," he told her with a smile.

Rory couldn't quite manage to return to expression. The feeling of Jess' fingers wrapped around her own was wonderful and dreadful all at the same time. She wanted to be here so badly, to be with the man she loved, but now her mind was clouded with images and words. The red-head on Jess' doorstep, angry, sad, and so tired looking. _'Maybe he would like to meet his daughter'._

The moment they were upstairs and behind a closed door, Rory let her worst fears come spilling out of her mouth.

"Did you get someone pregnant and run out on them?"

Jess looked genuinely shocked and hurt by the accusation. He stared at Rory with a mixture of pain and confusion in his eyes, wondering just for a split second if this was some kind of sick joke. No, Rory wasn't the type. She was deadly serious and that made Jess feel exactly the same.

"No," he said definitely. "I can't actually believe you would even ask me that question, especially after I told you what happened with _my_ parents," he said coldly. "Where is this even coming from?"

Rory's tears came tumbling out over her lashes, hot enough to burn.

"I'm sorry," she swallowed hard. "I don't want to believe you would do that, but... but I met a woman today," she tried to explain, through the shake in her voice, the emotion thick in her throat. "You remember a red-head named Lena?"

Jess didn't have to answer with words, Rory saw the recognition in his eyes and felt a piece of her heart break away. Up until that moment she could fool herself that this was all a cruel trick, a nasty con. There was a chance Jess never even met Lena, that it was all a giant mistake or evil ploy of some kind. Now that chance was gone. Jess and Lena had been close, close enough to make a baby. Rory felt her stomach heave and forced herself to swallow hard.

"Oh my God!" she gasped, hand covering her mouth.

"Rory, just because I knew this woman does not mean I made a baby with her!" said Jess definitely, reaching for Rory when she turned away.

She snatched her hand from his grasp and hugged herself. Just trying to breathe evenly wasn't coming easy right now, but Rory made herself do it.

"You never slept with her?" she asked then, biting hard on her lip as she waited for his answer.

Jess looked pained, eyes going to the floor. "I did," he admitted eventually.

"Then that baby could be yours!" Rory cried. "I can't believe this! This is crazy! I was so happy with you, I just kept on expecting something to go wrong. It had to. Nothing could be this perfect!" she raved. "I just knew something, _something_ had to go wrong, and here it is!"

"Rory, calm down!" Jess urged her, mindful not only of keeping her from losing it but also the fact they could probably be heard downstairs. "Come on, nothing has gone so horribly wrong," he tried to convince her, grabbing her shoulders and only glad that right in this moment she wasn't shrugging him off, though she wouldn't look at him yet. "Even if the kid was mine, it wouldn't mean I'd done anything wrong. I never cheated on you, I never would," he promised. "But if Lena has a baby, it's not mine," he insisted all the same.

Rory shook her head and cried still. It hurt. It all hurt so much, thinking of Jess with that woman, knowing he could be father to a baby he never met. Her mind raced with thoughts, imagining so many more abandoned women with babies they made with Jess. So he hadn't been unfaithful to her, at least Rory assumed not, but what sort of man did that? Just knocked up half of New York and went along with his life without a care. That wasn't Jess, her Jess, the man she gave herself to, heart, body, and soul these past two months. Rory couldn't stand it.

"Rory, please," he urged her, practically begging her to look at him.

She did so reluctantly to find that whilst she may have given into tears, Jess seemed to be fighting them himself.

"You know how it was with me. I told you from the start, I dated a lot of women," he reminded her. "But none of them compare to you. Nobody ever made an impact on my life like you did. I never lied to anybody, it was always casual with me and the women I saw. They knew it, I knew it. Me and Lena were never serious-"

"Serious enough to make a baby!" Rory interrupted sharply.

"You do not have to be serious for that to happen," Jess told her, just a little condescending in his tone. After all, Rory was no fool. True love didn't make babies. All it took was sex, and yes, Jess had plenty of that in his time. Still, he was damn sure he had not left a trail of mini Marianos in his wake. "It didn't happen, Rory," he insisted, looking deep into her blue eyes. "If Lena has a kid, it is not mine," he repeated firmly.

Rory wanted to believe him. She wanted so badly for it to be true, and yet she knew they had no proof.

"So I heard," she sniffled, "but how do you know? It could be!"

"I am smarter than that, Rory," Jess told her definitely, fingers digging into her upper arms without either of them really noticing. "I don't have any surprise kids. I'm sure on that, more than sure," he promised. "I was always more than careful. You know how I am with you, and the women before were never people I was going to stick with. After the way my life started, I wouldn't let there be a chance of me getting some girl into trouble."

Rory understood his point, she really did, but accidents did happen. It was awful to think about. At worst, the man she loved had a child he never met with a woman who seemed less than pleasant. At best, it was a terrible reminder of just how many women had come before, how easily Jess had tossed them all aside after nights spent together in casual passion. Rory hated all of it, and the way the beautiful bubble of her romance with Jess had been burst in a heartbeat.

Looking up into his dark eyes right now, it would almost be easy to forget, to pretend none of this ever happened. She had come here to be with him, to be with Jess and spend a happy weekend meeting his friends and seeing the publishing house. He was here with a book he wrote where the lead character was based on Rory herself. They had been so in love these last two months, so happy and content. It was like living in a fairy tale, and Rory didn't want it to end. Unfortunately, right here in this moment, she couldn't see a way for it to continue.

"Rory, please," Jess urged her to listen to him, to believe in him still, though the look in her eyes as she stared in him was already so altered, he feared he would never get her back. He had to try. "This is the real thing for me, Rory," he told her what she had to already know. "I love you, for crying out loud!"

"And I love you," she replied easily, knowing it was still very much true. "But maybe this is all just too fast. Maybe we dove in without really thinking about what we were getting into. Jess, it's been two months and we're in this deep already. The book, the key to your apartment, me jumping on a train out of the blue, just for another twenty four hours with you," she cried, shaking her head. "It's crazy!"

"But it's right," Jess insisted, not willing to let her go even when she tried to. "You know it is. I knew it from the first moment I saw you. We're meant to be together, Rory, and I don't know why or how, but that's just the way it is!"

He wasn't scaring her. Maybe he should have been, but Rory felt no pain from his grip or panic from the intense way he was looking at her and talking to her. He held her firmly but not violently. He spoke with passion and love that she could never blame him for. She understood because she felt exactly the same. It was just that right in this moment, she really wished she didn't.

"I know," she said softly. "Jess, I know you're right, but... but it's just a little scary to realise," she admitted. "I love you so much, I... I feel like I can't breathe sometimes."

He watched something break in her eyes when she spoke, and the crack was mirrored in his heart. Jess couldn't stand to see Rory in pain, not even if it was the intensity of the love they shared causing it.

"Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" he asked her.

Rory didn't have an answer. She didn't know what it should be or even what she wanted it to be. When Jess moved in closer to kiss her, she let him at first. It felt good, familiar, beautiful and painful in equal measure. She hoped he could kiss it all better, make her forget his past that had built up in her mind over a car ride and a ninety minute train journey. He couldn't.

Pulling out of his arms at last, Rory saw the surprise of her getting away register on Jess' face and knew this was her only chance. She couldn't allow him to try to convince her to stay, to explain any further. She had to get out of there.

"This was a mistake," she said quickly. "I'm sorry."

Before Jess had a chance to process, Rory ran past him and was gone out of the door in a flash. He called her name but didn't give chase, already knowing that it would do no good, and wouldn't be fair. Rory had a shock today and maybe he had too, but Jess was pretty certain in what he said to her. He wasn't a father. No child Lena had borne would share his DNA. At least he was fairly certain anyway. There was no way to be one hundred percent sure, because they had spent nights together. It was more than a year ago now. Jess winced and ran a hand over his face. The greater issue wasn't Lena and her baby, it was Rory. Even if he could prove definitively that he had made no child with her, Rory was always going to wonder about the other women, about Jess' past in general. It wasn't as if she hadn't know he got around before, but the reality of it seemed to hurt her more than either of them expected. Something had broken here today, and as much as Jess would like to believe it could be fixed, he wasn't so certain right now.

_To Be Continued..._


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I know, I know. It's all looking pretty bleak right now, but it'll get better. Just give it time...**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Chapter 26

Rory had to tell Lorelai what happened. At first she was going to keep it to herself, determined not to ruin the tentative relationship Jess had begun to rebuild with Luke, but in the end, she just couldn't stand to deal alone. Lorelai was more than Rory's mom, she was her best friend too. She needed her advice over what had happened with Jess this weekend, that was why the first thing Rory did when she got back to her apartment was call her mom and cry through the entire explanation of what had happened. Lorelai gave little in the way of opinions on the matter, only sympathising with her baby girl's pain and insisting that the baby's father had to be proven one way or the other, regardless of anything else. Rory knew that was true. At the same time, she wondered what difference it would really make. If this child wasn't Jess' own, it didn't mean there weren't others.

Lorelai had asked if she could tell Luke what had happened. Rory wanted to say no at first but eventually conceded. It would be wrong to expect her mom to keep such secrets from the man she loved and was set to marry in a few weeks time.

"I just... I don't want Luke to think badly of Jess. This has nothing to do with their relationship," Rory had told her mother tearfully.

"Okay, sweets," said Lorelai in reply. "I promise I'll explain it properly to Luke."

Rory wasn't sure what that meant exactly but she trusted that her mom would do what was best, just like always. If only Rory herself knew what to do for the best herself, things might be easier. In her state of upset, it was a struggle to go to work on Monday morning, but she had no choice. She stopped the tears, painted on a smile, and made herself put all the stuff she was dealing with personally out of her head. Rory had a job to do and she wasn't going to stop doing it or do it any less well because of Jess or Lena or anyone else. She could not allow her career or her life in general to go down the toilet because of a romantic entanglement gone bad.

"I've got through worse," she said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror on Monday morning.

The real problem was, Rory knew she was lying to herself.

* * *

"I've never known her so upset over a guy," said Lorelai sadly as she went over the whole situation one more time with Luke.

Sunday night, he had the works, the whole explanation as Lorelai had it from Rory. Neither of them had slept too well, just stayed up talking over what they might do to help, how much blame needed to be apportioned to Jess in all this. When Luke was even more quiet than usual, Lorelai had realised he wanted to defend his nephew but couldn't bring himself to, given how hurt Rory was.

"It's okay," his fiancée had told him, her hand over his own as she got his attention. "I'm not blaming Jess for all of this. Honestly, I'm not even sure that Rory is in hate mode right now, just pain and disappointment. Jess never cheated. At worst, he was a casual dater, the one night stand type. From what Rory said, that's nothing she didn't know before."

"But this woman showing up with a kid, it made it all a reality," said Luke, nodding his head because he well understood. "I hate to think of him doing that, just going around sleeping with whoever comes along like some kind of... Well, there's no good word for people who do that."

Lorelai felt awful. A half hour after her baby girl had been sobbing in her ear, she had her fiance feeling torn in two between the girl he always saw as a daughter and the guy that was actually his nephew by blood. They both meant a lot to Luke, and at the end of the day, none of this was really anybody's fault. That was the real problem. Monday came, and nobody was any further forward.

"I want somebody to blame and I can't find anybody!" said Lorelai frustratedly, not even finding comfort in the coffee Luke poured for her, though on the upside it might keep her awake when all her eyes wanted to do was close.

"I know what you mean." Luke sighed. "I mean, I want to be mad at Jess for being so dumb, but we still don't know yet if he was _that_ stupid," he considered. "He needs a DNA test for that, and if he's smart, he'll be getting one before he gives this Lena person a dime."

Lorelai squirmed on her stool. Luke frowned and moved to meet her eyes, leaning his elbows on the counter.

"What?" he asked, sure there was something he was missing here. "C'mon, Lorelai, you know there's nothing you can't say to me," he reminded her, his hand on her arm.

"I was just thinking, and I know it's not the same thing exactly, but if this kid is Jess' daughter, was he so stupid?" she checked. "I mean, accidents do happen, look at me and Chris. Look at you and Anna."

"As much as it pains me to say it, you were in love with Christopher back when Rory was made," said Luke knowingly. "And me and Anna, that was pretty serious for a while too. You should be serious before you..." He waved his free hand in some random gesture that conveyed words he was not prepared to say in public.

Lorelai nodded that she understood. He was right, of course he was. The problem here wasn't whether or not Jess was thoughtful enough to use condoms when he slept with a woman. It was Rory's realisation of the potential volume of women that had come before, the life Jess had before he met her. In some ways, Lorelai could see her daughter's point. In others, she could see all this as an over-reaction. A part of her really hoped that when the shock had worn off, Rory and Jess would just talk things out and get back on track. She meant what she said before, she had never heard Rory so upset, so broken over a guy before. She wallowed over Dean, and she cried over Logan, but this was different. There was a tone in her voice, a deep soul-darkening pain that Lorelai could hear in every syllable her daughter spoke, just as she had heard a particular special lightness and sparkle before when Rory had talked of how in love she was with Jess. This was a very big deal, and selfish as it seemed, one of Lorelai's real worries right now was for her own wedding. Rory was her maid of honour, and though Jess didn't have a titled role, he had been invited. Luke had been so pleased when his nephew agreed to be at the wedding. Now that seemed impossible. Lorelai took a long drink of her coffee and hoped rather than believed it would make her feel better. Then she thought of Rory and realised she couldn't feel half as bad as her daughter did right now.

* * *

Rory walked back to the newspaper office with her lunch in a bag that dangled from her fingers. She wasn't so sure she was going to eat any of what she had bought, but she knew she had to at least try. Rory had never been the type to give up just because a relationship went south, but having Jess on her mind constantly meant she had hardly slept last night and just had no appetite to eat today.

In the twisted mess that was her brain right now, Rory bounced between blaming Jess for the life he had before her, and then blaming herself for reacting badly to the reality of it. At times, she thought their relationship had to be over forever. In other moments, she let herself believe it could be easily patched up. A lot still hung on Lena and her baby, whether or not Jess really was a father. As to the rest, Rory really wasn't sure what would or would not make a difference right now.

Right before the doors to the building, Rory heard her name called. Lost in thought as she was, she didn't react to the sound of a familiar voice until a hand touched her arm. As she spun around, she was surprised by who she found right behind her.

"Doyle? What are you doing here?" she asked, moving to hug him and even finding a hint of a smile for her friend.

"I'm not really here," he said, shaking his head. "Or I shouldn't be. I had to meet up with a guy for an interview. Business type, I can't really talk about it, but he is practically impossible to catch up to. We ended up doing the interview on the train from Boston to New York! I was going to get the next one straight back to the office, but Paris would kill me if I came this far and didn't at least say hi to you."

Rory smiled more genuinely at that. The familiarity of the situation was nice. Doyle being Doyle, just a little afraid to do anything that Paris wouldn't approve of and all. It made Rory hanker for those days gone by when she lived in that drab apartment off campus with Paris and Doyle. Life had seemed simpler then somehow.

"Well, it's great to see you," she told him. "And congratulations on the engagement. I should've said that sooner. You and Paris belong together, nothing else makes sense."

He was looking at her strangely. Rory wasn't sure what to make of the odd look Doyle was giving her and hoped he hadn't noticed the tear-stains on her face or the strain in her voice. Guys weren't usually so observant, though Doyle was more sensitive than most at times.

"Um, I'm sorry, I really have to get back to work," Rory said quickly then, wanting to get away just in case he was noticing something wrong and about to ask about it. She couldn't bear to explain, not like this.

"Okay." Doyle nodded. "Well, it was good seeing you, Rory. You have to come visit sometime. I know Paris misses you."

"We'll figure something out soon," Rory promised even as she practically ran into the building, one lone tear already escaping down her cheek before she could stop it.

* * *

It had been a long day, made longer by the fact she hadn't really slept the night before. Getting into her apartment at last, Rory collapsed onto the couch and let the tears overtake her again. She was sure she hadn't cried this much in years, but right now she couldn't stop. It was all such an unholy mess. All she wanted was to have Jess here to hold her and tell her it would all be okay, and yet it was because of him that her heart was breaking.

Sobbing into the cushions, Rory eventually fell asleep. She had no idea what was happening when she woke very suddenly to a banging on her door. Her mind sparked with a fast-paced list of who might be trying to get her attention. Jess came first, and then her mom, Luke, and then finally...

"Gilmore! Open this door!"

"Paris?" Rory said to herself as she got up from the couch and shuffled over to the door. Opening it up, she found her friend on the doorstep looking angry as a thunder cloud. "Paris, what are you doing here?"

"What did he do?" she asked, storming into the apartment like a woman possessed.

"Who?" asked Rory in all innocence.

"Don't give me that," Paris snapped, not buying it for a second. "The author! He did this to you, didn't he?" she demanded to know, arms waving in crazy windmill gestures to show even more frustration than her voice and face were conveying. "As soon as Doyle said you seemed upset, I knew it'd be Mariano. I swear to God, I'm gonna strip his skin from his body, piece by piece. Writing? He'll be lucky if he can scrape up the enthusiasm to breathe when I'm done with him!"

"Paris..." Rory tried to interrupt but wasn't given the chance to get more than her friend's name out before the ranting began again.

"So what was it? Did he cheat on you? No, he's the artistic type, temperamental," she considered. "He took a swing, didn't he? Oh, he does not know who he's messing with!"

"Paris!" said Rory more forcefully this time, slamming the door closed for good measure. "Jess didn't cheat on me, and he certainly never hit me," she insisted, moving to sit down on the couch again. "He just... I can't..."

It was as much as Rory could manage. Tired as she was, as mixed up and confused and hurt, she just couldn't talk about exactly what had happened right now. The tears were not over. Every time she stopped crying she thought she was done, but no. Sobbing hard into her hands, Rory knew Paris was as uncomfortable as she had ever been, never knowing what to do with other people's emotion, or even her own, truth be told. Rory couldn't help it. She knew how to do nothing else right now but cry.

"Um, there, there," said Paris stiffly, sitting down beside Rory and patting her lightly on the back. "I'm sorry, I... You know I'm not good with tears and emotional stuff."

Rory sniffled and coughed, a tiny burst of laughter bursting through the tears at her friend's awkwardness. She turned her head, wiping her cheeks dry with her hands and looked at Paris who sighed.

"I can be angry at him for what he did wrong," she explained, "but as to the rest, the comfort and everything..."

"The fact you're here says a lot," said Rory softly, swallowing hard. "I do appreciate it, thank you, but honestly, the violence isn't really necessary," she admitted. "Jess isn't the bad guy, not really. He didn't do anything to me, he just... It turns out he has a past I wasn't ready for."

Paris' eyes narrowed at that. "Drugs? Alcoholism?" she guessed, "A thing for prostitutes maybe?"

Rory shook her head. "A daughter," she forced out. "Well, maybe, anyway. Probably not, at least he's pretty determined that she's not his kid," she explained with a heavy sigh, as she pushed her hair back off her face. "Of course, the mother says different."

"Wow," said Paris, and then fell silent.

She was fine when she had a target and a reason to breathe fire at it. Now Paris was fast realising that maybe Jess wasn't public enemy number one. He hadn't done any of the things she would accuse him of. He had a past, a reputation for sleeping around. That was true of an awful lot of men, women too, actually. Maybe he was sloppy and left a girl holding the baby, maybe not, but there were worse things he could have done, and she had pretty much listed all of them in the last five minutes.

"It's not like I didn't know he slept with other women," said Rory quietly. "I've slept with other guys. Everybody has a past. I think it was just the shock, at first," she admitted. "Then... then the realisation that we really don't know enough about each other to be in as deep as we are... or were."

Paris nodded that she understood, though she wasn't entirely sure she did. She and Doyle had met in college, working on the Yale Daily News. Sure, they hadn't gone to a more than friends place until a chance meeting at an on campus speed-dating event, but she had been pretty sure about what she was doing when they first slept together, and in all the time after. She never doubted that they were well-suited, that they could have a future together. Seemed she was right given the fact they were still together all this time later and engaged too. Paris and Doyle had gotten to know each other over time and now they were for keeps. Rory and Jess had certainly had a whirlwind of a romance, but that didn't necessarily mean it had to blow itself out.

"You know I'm not a romantic," she said eventually. "I never understood why the princesses in Disney movies needed the guy to come save them. Why didn't they just get off their asses and figure things out for themselves?" she wondered aloud even now, and Rory smiled at the question because it was just such a Paris thing to say. "But I do know a little bit about being in love. Nobody makes me happier than Doyle. The stupid little dwarf drives me crazy sometimes and I tried so hard to hate him, but I can't. He's just it for me, and that's that".

"I know," Rory nodded. "And you're perfect together. You've been a happier person since you got together."

"Agreed," said Paris with a smile. "And do you know when you seemed to be at your absolute happiest?" she asked Rory then.

Her friend ducked her face behind her hair, refusing to make eye contact. They both knew the answer to that question. Rory had never been happier than when she was with Jess.

"You think I'm an idiot," she said, a statement not a question as she made herself meet Paris' eyes then. "You think I should accept that nobody is perfect and just be with Jess, be happy."

"I never said that," Paris shook her head. "You're your own woman, Rory. If you decide you can't handle Jess' past, his being a father, if in fact he is biologically tied to this child, then walk away, find a new way to be happy. On the other hand, if you really love this guy, if it's a truly, madly, deeply, my heart will go on, can't help falling in love situation, then maybe you can accept that he's not as perfect as you'd like and just make it work."

Rory frowned as she realised that Paris had very much simplified the issues she had been struggling with for more than twenty four hours into it's basest elements. She really did have precisely two choices. Accept Jess as he was, not perfect but potentially perfect for her and make their relationship work regardless, or walk away and never see him again, safe in the knowledge that she could never be hurt by anything else that came to light later.

The cell phone buzzing on the coffee table took Rory's attention, but she didn't reach for it. The noise started to bug Paris and she picked up the phone instead, in time for the caller to get voicemail and leave a message. Paris checked the screen and sighed.

"Six voicemails and twelve text messages," she said, shaking her head. "Can't say he's not persistent."

Rory didn't say a word. She had a lot to think about, she couldn't think how hearing or reading anything Jess had to say would help. She wasn't sure anything would right now.

_To Be Continued..._

**A/N2: I really didn't know where I was going to go with this immediately after Rory and Jess had their fight, then I figured, if in doubt, throw Paris at the situation. What do you think?**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: All happy to see Paris, huh? That was fun for me too. Now Rory just needs to figure out how to move forward, with or without Jess. We're all pulling for 'with', right? Gee, I hope so! lol**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see Chapter 1)**_

Chapter 27

A week passed. Rory couldn't handle the constant buzzing of her cell after the first two days but knew she couldn't have it switched off when she was working. Instead she wrote Jess one single, simple message and hoped he took notice.

'_I need some time and space. Please stop.'_

If nothing else, Rory had to admit that Jess was thoughtful enough to do as she asked. She hadn't heard anything from him in the last five days and therefore ought to be happy. Rory was anything but happy, truth be told. It hurt almost as much to have Jess take heed of her words as it had to walk away from him in the first place. She thought about calling him, arranging to meet and figure things out. Rory didn't know she could ever miss a person quite like this, but she did, and all of the time. She wanted to talk it out, make it all okay, but she was so afraid that it could yet be worse.

Saturday came as a nasty shock to Rory. No work to throw herself into meant trying to find other things to fill her time. Tidying a small apartment only took so long, as did the usual chores of laundry and such. It was a little before midday and Rory was fast running out of activities. She picked up the phone to call her mom and check in, but her thumb hovered over the speed-dial without actually pressing it. Eventually she tossed the phone back into the couch cushions and sat down heavily beside it, running both hands over her face and through her hair. Rory knew if she called Lorelai, the only topics of conversation would be Jess and the upcoming wedding. Right now, she could face neither.

A few moments thought had Rory suddenly deciding to go through her closet. She had been meaning to do so for months now, just pull out all the clothes, the boxes shoved into the back, everything she had in there and giving it a real sort through. She could toss out some stuff she never wore any more, shoes she knew she would never subject her feet to again, plus there were old school books and things in the back there, she was sure. It needed to be done.

Rory had almost everything out on the bedroom floor when a sound in the living room caught her attention. For a moment she thought it was the intercom by the front door, but it hadn't been loud enough. Getting up, she cautiously headed out of her room and to the door. She stopped and listened but there was no longer a sound. Something caught her eye though, what appeared to be an envelope, half sticking out from under the door. Rory stooped to retrieve it, all the breath going out of her body when she recognised the handwriting that spelled out her name.

"Jess," she whispered, immediately whipping open the door to see if he was still there - he wasn't.

Rory couldn't tell if she was relieved or disappointed as she closed the door again and let out a long sigh. Her eyes ran over the envelope and her fingers followed suit. There had to be a fairly lengthy letter held within, given the thickness of the paper she could feel through the envelope. Rory debated just throwing the letter straight in the trash, but she couldn't do it. If he had done wrong, then maybe, but Jess wasn't guilty of much, except perhaps not being perfect, and nobody was that.

Heading back to her room, Rory sat down lotus-style on the floor amongst the contents of her closet, just as she had been before the letter arrived. Still she was giving great consideration to whether or not she wanted to read it, then suddenly in a flash she had torn the envelope apart and was holding Jess' missive in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she began to read.

_Rory,_

_You asked me to give you time and space. I think I've done that for long enough. Actually, I started writing the first version of this just a few hours after your text that asked me to leave you alone, promising myself not to deliver it for a while. I knew you would never see that letter. It ended up burnt to ash in the waste paper basket under my desk. Six more have joined it since. Maybe this one will turn out how it should._

_Writing is what I do, Rory. You know that. The world knows that, or at least as many people in the world who have see my book in a store or read your shining article in the paper ten weeks ago. I know it seems crazy, that we've only known each other such a short time. I swear, I try to remember what my life was before you and most of the time I can't. When it all comes flooding back, I wish I didn't._

_I hope you won't stop reading when I mention her name, but I tracked down Lena. For a person that came seeking me out, she sure went into hiding after she met you. I had to know for sure about the baby. I was pretty damn sure she wasn't my kid, but like you said, accidents happen, nothing is certain. Like I told you, I was seeing Lena for a while. It was never serious, just one of those casual things. I'm not proud of it, Rory, but it happened. Now, here's the truth about Lena's daughter - she really isn't mine. You don't have to take my word on it. Check the last page of this letter. You'll find a copy of the DNA results attached. No match. She's not mine._

_It took me a while to realise why you were so upset with me. Maybe that makes me a fool, I don't know, but for a while there I just couldn't wrap my head around it all. You seemed so hurt, anybody would've thought I cheated on you with Lena, but you know I never did. No woman holds a candle to you, Rory, not one. I was never serious about Lena, or any other woman that I was with back then. What you and me had, what I hope we can still have, it's like nothing I ever knew before, and I don't think I could ever have it again, not with anybody else, because nobody else is you._

_Your problem with what happened is the fact you can't accept the man I used to be, at least, that's how it seems to me. At first I was mad at you for being such a child. Everybody has a past. Nobody is perfect. These are things that you learn as you grow up. I was so angry that you were being that naive. It took a while for me to realise that my past and yours are just so different. It's probably hard for you to understand why a person would live the way I did. Your view on me and the women I slept with back then, it's skewed by the world you knew._

_That time we spent in Stars Hollow gave me an insight into the place and society you grew up in. I'll bet it was a national scandal if two people so much as held hands without being engaged, right? The world I grew up in was a million miles from that. My own mother was the least faithful person I ever knew, not counting some of the real winners she brought home and told me to call 'uncle'. We're very different, Rory. For all the ideas we share, all the things we have in common, we're never going to come from the same place, we're never going to see the world in quite the same way, but does that really have to mean we can't make this relationship work out?_

_I'm not a father. I believe that's true, not just about Lena's baby, but anybody. I can't physically prove it to you. You're just going to have to believe me. You tell me you love me, and I trust in that, but you don't seem to have any real trust in me._

_I've changed, Rory. I changed the most the day I met you outside of Tyler's cafe ten weeks ago. When I've dropped this letter off at your apartment, that's where I'm headed. I'm going to sit in the booth where I first fell in love with you and I'm going to stay there until Tyler closes up tonight. If there's a chance that you believe we still have something worth saving, then I'll see you there. If you don't show up, then I'll know it's over for you. I'm not sure it'll ever be over for me._

_All my love,_

_Jess_

Tears rolled unchekced down Rory's cheeks as she finished reading the letter, making messy splodges on the page as they fell. When words failed you in speech, write them down. Rory knew how that worked and ought to have known it would have occurred to Jess too. He had certainly made his feelings known in the letter she now held in her hands, Rory thought, eyes skimming back over the contents one more time. She saw little of the actual words as her vision blurred with the tears flooding through. Knots twisted in Rory's stomach. She had as much time as Tyler's cafe remained open today to make a choice, and that choice could literally change her life. Checking her watch, Rory saw it was a little after two. Tyler had the cafe open until late, much like Luke with the diner back home. There was maybe eight hours left for Rory to make her big decision and the pressure of it made her feel dizzy.

Putting the letter aside, she wiped her face dry of tears and let her eyes focus on the boxes and piles of belongings spread around her. The clothes were heaped on the bed, unnoticed, it was the boxes of books, of memories and keep-sakes that had her attention. It was such a mess, like the state of her mind and her romantic life both. Rory might have laughed at the irony but didn't have it in her to raise so much as a smile.

Sighing heavily, she reached for the nearest box and pulled it closer. The cardboard gave way, spilling the contents all over the carpet. Trinkets and smaller items all attached to memories came tumbling in Rory's direction. A bracelet made for her by her first boyfriend, Dean, landed closest to her. Rory picked it up, turned the leather strap and metal coin over in her hand. She had been sixteen then, and thoroughly believed she would wear this bracelet forever, that she would love Dean forever. Now she wasn't even sure where he was living or what he was doing with his life. It happened that easily. One minute you're as close as you can be to a person and the next they're gone. Rory winced as she realised that she was in a position right now where Jess could evaporate from her world just as easily as Dean had done. The very idea of it tore at her heart.

Reaching towards the box again, Rory's hand landed on some other jewellery she had worn when in college and then the box she had been keeping it in, all decorated in macaroni courtesy of Paris' crafting phase. Beneath it there were a few photographs, also from Rory's days at Yale. She almost managed to raise a smile as she flipped through each of the snapshots, coming to an abrupt halt when she hit one particular picture.

The memory was burned into her memory like a brand. It was the first time she put any kind of trust in Logan Huntzberger, the man that would soon be her second boyfriend. He had taken her on an outing of the Life and Death Brigade, Yale's own secret society. She had been given a fancy dress, educated in talking without using the letter E, and watched guys shoot each other with paintball guns. The big event had been six people climbing to the top of a ridiculously high scaffold, only to throw themselves off holding umbrellas. Of course they also wore lines that had been tested to take the weight of a falling person, but it had still been pretty scary. Rory hadn't wanted to be one of the half dozen who took the jump, but Logan had convinced her.

"People can live a hundred years without really living for a minute," she said to herself, recalling so clearly the words he had said to her then.

It had an impact, no doubt. If she could jump from that scaffold, Rory thought she could do anything. It led her to some good choices and some bad ones too, but she never regretted any of it, because at least she had lived. In the end, Logan wasn't the man for her, but Rory was forever grateful to him for the times when he really showed her how to live life to its fullest.

Now Jess was asking her to make a choice about him. They could leap into the unknown together or walk away, mostly unscathed. Rory's eyes shifted from the photo in her hand to Jess' letter on the carpet to her left. Surely the very least Jess deserved was for Rory to not leave him sat in a cafe by himself for hours on end.

"You jump, I jump, Jack," she said to herself, taking a breath, knowing exactly where she needed to be right now.

What she would say to Jess when she saw him, Rory had no idea, but she at least had to go meet him. She owed him that much. She owed _herself_ that much.

* * *

Jess was on his fourth beverage and two thirds of the way through one of his favourite Hemingways when Rory walked in. It was amazing to him that he had read a word of the book in his hand, since every time the bell over the front door jingled, his attention was taken. Finally, Rory was here, though she didn't look thrilled about the fact. Jess dumped his book down on the table and slid out of the booth. Rory hovered by the door and then eventually walked over, sitting down on the opposite side of the table. Jess didn't say a word, just retook his seat and signalled to Tyler so he would bring Rory a coffee.

"I got your letter," she said eventually. "Not that there was any way for me not to get it when you put it under my door, and obviously I read it, because I wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't," she rattled out, telling her nervous twitching hands on the table more than Jess.

"Rory," he said, reaching out to cover her hands with his own, but she pulled away.

"Jess, I'm sorry," she told him, finally meeting his eyes. "I don't... Meeting that woman, hearing what she had to say, it was a shock."

"I know that," he agreed, nodding his head.

"And even after the shock went away, I just couldn't stop my brain from thinking all of these scenarios, and I know, I know you were always upfront with me about how things were with you before. You got around, I know that, and I'm not judging you, I swear, but... but it's like you said, our lives were so different. It made me realise that we really don't know each other all that well," she said, stopping to take in his expression before continuing. "I know, you're going to say we've been here before."

"I recognise that tree," Jess agreed in full dead-pan mode.

Rory didn't flinch. She also didn't give in.

"I can't help the way I feel, Jess. I want to say it's all fine, that nothing's changed, that we can just move forward and forget all of this never happened, but I can't," she told him, shaking her head, fighting further tears. "I can't stop thinking about it. About you and that woman, and other women, and... But I don't want to lose you from my life," she continued on, letting the other train of thought go before she broke down again, something she was particularly aware of in a public place when Tyler brought her coffee to the table. "I think maybe we could just be friends or something..."

Jess' eyes went wide at the implication.

"Friends?" he echoed incredulous. "After everything... You just wanna be friends?" he checked, hardly able to believe she was saying these things.

Rory's hand thump hard against the table out of pure frustration. "I don't know, Jess!" she exclaimed a little too loudly, before finding some calm and continuing. "I... This has all thrown me for such a loop. I suddenly feel like I've been running around with a stranger, sleeping with a man I barely know. You could've been a father, and I had no idea!"

"But I'm not," he reminded her quickly. "And if I had been, I wouldn't have known either, so it's not like I was keeping anything from you. This is insane, Rory! But then, I guess it has been from the beginning," he considered, trying again to take a hold of her hand, glad when she let him this time and held his gaze. "When I met you, I just thought we would do an interview and that would be it. That day, I was expecting some gawky guy with a tape recorder and a bad haircut. Instead I got you," he told her with a smile he couldn't help even in these awful circumstances. "This amazing woman that blew me away from the first minute. I fell in love with you, right here in this booth on that first day and I never looked back. I don't know what happened to me, I can't explain it. I have never felt anything like this for anyone else my whole life, I don't think I ever could," he insisted, looking deep into her eyes, hoping that he might convince her by pure force of will alone. "You seemed to feel the same way."

"I did," she told him too softly.

"You did," Jess echoed bitterly. "But you don't any more."

"I don't know," said Rory, shaking her head.

Tears were welling in her eyes again and it pained Jess to see it. Knowing he had nothing much left to lose, he got up and moved to Rory's side of the booth, effectively trapping her but he hoped she wouldn't see it that way. She needed to listen to him, she needed to see that they just had to be together. That there was no second option.

"I get that this situation is scary and weird, that finding my ex on my doorstep with a kid was a real shock, but nothing has really changed, Rory," he promised her. "What I feel for you hasn't changed, and if you still feel the same way about me, then why does anything else matter?"

Rory felt like she couldn't breathe never mind speak, not with Jess so close, looking at her with those intense dark eyes, talking to her words of love that used to make her feel so good and now threatened to break her heart in two. She shook her head, setting one tear free down her cheek.

"Because," she forced out at last.

"Because, why?" he asked in earnest.

"Because it just does," she told him, frustratedly. "We were living in this fairy-tale bubble, Jess. Don't you see that? It was unreal, it was too good to be true. It couldn't last."

Rory was sure she had never seen a person look as hurt as Jess did in that moment.

"You sound like you didn't want it to last," he said sadly.

"Of course, I did," she told him, itching to touch him, sure it was a bad idea to actually do so, "but that's not the point."

"It's exactly the point," Jess insisted, eyes dipping down before he made himself look at her one more time. "If you want this to work as much as I do, then we can do it, Rory. I believe in us, why can't you?"

She didn't have an answer. The truth of the matter was that Rory really did want to make this work. She wanted to get over the things that were bothering her and let Jess back into her life. The problem was not being sure if she could actually do it. She was standing at the bottom of a scaffold looking up into the clouds with a million fears running through her mind, but if Jess was willing to get up there and jump...

"Okay," she said at last, nodding her head.

Jess seemed startled by the fact she spoke, or maybe just confused as to what exactly that one word meant.

"Okay?" he checked, hoping for further explanation before he really let himself believe this was happening.

"I don't want you gone from my life, and I know friends would be way too hard," Rory admitted. "I just think maybe we need to slow down a little, y'know? Jess, everything with us happened so fast. Ten weeks and look at us. My mom made jokes about us being next down the aisle. That's crazy talk, but at the same time, I knew why she was saying it. We got to a really serious place so quickly. Maybe if we had taken things a little slower, talked more about the important things, not spent every minute calling and emailing and... and rolling around in bed together," she said, going red the moment she even hinted at sex, "maybe then this situation wouldn't have gotten the best of us."

"Maybe," Jess admitted with a sigh. "Honestly, Rory, I don't care how much we have to slow down, I just... I can't lose you."

"I don't want that either," she assured him, her hand going to his face then because she just had to let him know they were going to be okay, or that she wanted them to be, at the very least. "Jess, as much as I'm afraid of how easily you can hurt me, I'm more afraid of completely letting go of this crazy thing that we have."

Jess nodded that he understood, and yet he couldn't help but push his luck just a little.

"Does this slowing down thing mean I'm not allowed to kiss you?"

Rory smiled at the question, she couldn't do anything else, except for move in a little closer and answer him without words. It would have been so easy to fall into a moment and not come up for air for a half hour, but Jess made a point of pulling back even before Rory did so herself. A week without her, it was painful to move away, and yet he knew he had to. Jess got up and moved back to the other side of the booth and Rory didn't question why. She got it. Easier to have a table between them if they were going to try more talking, less touching.

"So," he said, settling into his seat.

"So," she replied in kind, picking up her coffee and taking a sip. "Do your friends in Philly think I'm a real weirdo now?"

Jess smiled and shook his head.

"No, they think I'm an idiot," he confirmed.

So began a conversation that would lead to nothing more. No kissing and touching. No going back to one or other of their apartments to make love until dawn. They didn't really mention books much, or anything superficial. Jess talked in-depth about Matt and Chris and his time at Truncheon. Rory tried not to wince when he mentioned women he had known, and told Jess more about the two ex boyfriends she had been so serious about at one time in her life, the handful of dates that had come in between. They really talked, about life and love, about family and friends. When Tyler came to close up at ten, they were still sat there, cradling their mugs in their hands, talking about everything, and never feeling more sure that this was going to work out. Somehow, it just was.

_To Be Continued..._

**A/N2: So, we're looking at the next chapter being the last. Things are all but fixed after that weird swerve that was not in the original plan! lol Anywho, an ending is finally on the way, and it may involve a wedding...**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Here comes the final chapter. Rory &amp; Jess got back together in some way in the previous one, but here they cement their reunion, for lack of a better of phrase. Meh, if you read it, you'll understand. Plus, a bonus Luke/Lorelai wedding! What more could you ask for? ;)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see Chapter 1)**_

Chapter 28

Rory smiled as her phone buzzed the moment she cleared the doors of the building. It had to be her mom, sitting in Stars Hollow literally counting down the minutes and seconds until her baby girl was free from work for a long weekend in the Hollow.

'_Twenty six hours to go!'_ said the text message_._

'_Only two until I'm home!'_ replied Rory immediately._ 'Then twenty four hours to go until you're officially Mrs Danes!'_

It was impossible not to be swept up in Lorelai's enthusiasm for anything and everything. When it came to her own wedding day, nothing was keeping Rory's mother down, and Rory wouldn't want it to. Hurrying down the street, she knew she had to motor if she was going to make the train. She ought to eat but hadn't really planned for lunch. Around the next corner she stopped suddenly, spotting the hot dog cart a little ways away.

A smile came to Rory's lips as she wandered over, pulling money from her pocket. She ordered one with everything and contemplated a bench in the park across the street to sit on whilst she enjoyed her lunch. Maybe that would be too much in the circumstances. It really wasn't the same by herself. Letting out a sigh, she continued walking towards home, taking bites out of her food as she went.

It was hard not to think about Jess, not least because she was going to see him in the next few hours. Butterflies started to flap around in her stomach at the very thought of it. Anticipation was a beautiful thing, something Rory and Jess had lacked in their relationship before. It was possible to have too much of a good thing, she had found. When their almost-break-up happened, it made them take stock, step back and slow down. Rory couldn't be sorry about that. When they talked now, they really talked. Not all of the time, because that would be way too intense in a different way to the physical and emotional intensity that had come before. Sometimes they still bantered about books and movies, but they took the time to get to know each other better. They needed that, and it only helped them get closer in a lot of ways.

It was tough to keep their distance. Phone calls and emails were further apart, physically seeing each other was purposefully limited. It was better. It made the time they did have more special, made them appreciate each other more, if that were possible. Rory adjusted to trusting Jess again, to not fixating on his past because that was terribly unfair, and she knew it too. Sharing her own past with him was nice too. Seeing the green in his eyes when she talked about her exes was almost comforting because it meant she wasn't the only one feeling ridiculously jealous of what were essentially ghosts.

Going back to Stars Hollow this weekend, it almost became a road trip akin to the last time they visited Rory's home town. Jess offered to drive and Rory opened her mouth to agree to the suggestion, but shook her head at the last.

"Won't it be more fun to travel separately? To not see each other until the wedding? You in your suit and me in my dress..."

"We're not the ones getting married, Ror," he reminded her with an indulgent smile.

She had laughed, leaned in close and kissed his cheek. "I still think it'd be nice."

"Maybe," he had admitted, stealing a real kiss from her lips.

They had gone on to talk about Lorelai and Luke. Rory's mom wasn't nervous at all, only excited and happy. Luke on the other hand was a different story. He had spoken to Jess a couple of times in the last few days and had apparently expressed some fear. Not that he wasn't sure about marrying Lorelai, because he truly was, it was more the worry of screw ups on the day, saying the wrong words or forgetting the rings, something like that. Jess had done his best to reassure his uncle that everything would be cool. Rory didn't doubt he was right.

Swinging into her apartment at last, Rory quickly changed clothes and grabbed her bags to take to Stars Hollow. On her way back towards the door, she felt her cell buzz in her pocket again. She doubted it would be her mom. Dropping her bags for a second, she pulled out her phone and checked the screen, smiling when she saw Jess' name.

'_You sure about the train? I can swing by.'_

'_I'm sure'_ she text back. _'Can't wait to see you tomorrow. Bet you'll look so hot in that tux... and out of it.'_

Rory blushed at her own words and then laughed to herself imagining Jess' expression when he read them. Nothing had really happened with them since their agreement to take it slower. Quite honestly, it was getting to a point where it was killing Rory to keep her hands off the guy. This weekend in the Hollow, she had plans to change things, to allow them to get back to the place where they had been before, physically. Jess had been so patient, but then so had Rory. They needed this time to reassess, but the wait was becoming painful. Clearly Jess agreed as his next message came through.

'_Are you trying to kill me?'_

'_See you tomorrow'_ replied Rory, adding a winking emoji before shoving her cell back in her pocket.

She had a train to catch!

* * *

The sun shone on Stars Hollow and there wasn't a person in town that didn't wear a wide smile. Today was the day that Lorelai Victoria Gilmore married Lucas William Danes. At last! It had been too many years in the making, but finally the moment was here. The whole town turned out to gather in the square and see. Emily and Richard were there in the gazebo. Liz was noticeably absent but no-one paid any mind, not with a hundred guests or more gathered around. A last minute decision had Jess standing up by Luke as an unlikely best man, and finally the music began, announcing the bride's arrival on the scene. All heads turned to watch April lead the way down the make-shift aisle, followed closely by her soon-to-be step-sister, Rory.

Jess forgot how to breathe when he saw her, and she was hardly less affected by the sight of him. It had been only two days since they saw each other last, but the emotion had been building, and never more so than today. Jess looked just as good in a tux as Rory expected, perhaps even hotter than she could ever have imagined in her head. There was no doubt that he found her just as stunning in her sheer lilac dress, a much more grown up version of the one April wore. Rory and Jess shared a secret smile, both wondering where tonight was headed, only one of them knowing for sure.

All attention went to Lorelai then, the beautiful bride that took everybody's breath away. No-one looked more bowled over by the sight of her than Luke.

"You look incredible," he said as his bride came to stand at his side.

"Not looking so bad yourself, mister," she replied in kind.

Rory smiled as she heard them exchanging compliments when the music faded out. The expression remained as she looked beyond the happy couple and Reverend Skinner to Jess. He was staring right back at her, and though Rory knew she looked good, he was actually watching her face. She shot him a questioning look but he didn't react, just smiled all the more and then turned his attention back to the ceremony. Rory did the same, watching and listening as her mother and then man who had been more of a father to Rory than anything else made their marriage vows.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said Reverend Skinner at last. "You may kiss the bride."

Though Luke was never much for public displays of affection, that clearly didn't count on his wedding day. Lorelai looked stunned in the best way as he took a hold of her and laid the mother of all kisses on her lips. Whoops and calls from the guests were tutted at by Emily and Richard, and yet both were smiling. Jess pretended to cover his eyes against the 'offensive' scene. Rory only laughed. So far, today was a beautiful day, just as it should be.

* * *

"I couldn't be happier for you, mom," said Rory, hugging Lorelai for the fourth time in as many minutes. "I can't believe it! You're finally Mrs Danes!"

"I know!" her mother exclaimed, bouncing around like Tigger and grinning so wide. "Oh, hon, we had the best time when you were growing up and I never for a minute regret the life we had, but this, me and Luke, this is how its supposed to be now. He's what I was missing."

"I know," Rory agreed. "But finally you got the happy ending I always wanted for you."

She was smiling and crying at the same time when Luke returned to them, two glasses of champagne in his hands.

"Rory," he said, handing her a glass. "Mrs Danes," he added with a wide smile as he gave Lorelai her drink.

"Why thank you, Mr Danes," she replied, giggling at how silly it was and yet she loved it all the same. "I'm gonna need this before the first dance gets announced. Baby Housman, I ain't," she noted, downing half the champagne in her glass.

"Nobody expects you to do a perfect merengue or anything," Rory reminded her. "Pretty sure all that's required is to move a little bit and look at each other like the newly-wed lovebirds that you are."

"That I think we can do," said Luke definitely, his arm around Lorelai as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"You better believe it," she agreed, before turning to Rory again. "So whilst we're dancing the newlywed way, isn't it traditional for the maid of honour and the best man to also partake of said dancing? Things are better with you two again now, right?"

"Way better," Rory confirmed, looking around for Jess and finding it strange that she didn't see him anywhere.

"And you're still up for house-sitting this weekend, right?" asked Lorelai with a look in her eyes that made Rory blush.

"House-sitting?" Luke echoed. "I thought Babette was watching the house while we're on honeymoon? Rory is only here until Monday..." he trailed off when he realised Lorelai was making hand motions and giving him looks. Luke didn't get why but he at least understood he was supposed to stop talking. "I'm sorry, Rory. Apparently I'm missing something and need to shut up now."

"It's fine, Luke," she assured him. "Even though you're married to Mom now, which I couldn't be happier about, it's probably still best that us girls are allowed to have a few secrets."

"I agree. A lot," said Luke definitely, offering Rory to clink glasses with him as if to seal that deal.

She laughed and did just that, taking a long swig of her champagne as Kirk switched tracks on the decks and announced it was time for the happy couple's first dance. Lorelai passed her glass off to Rory, gathered up the skirt of her dress and headed out into the centre of the room on Luke's arm. Rory watched them go and couldn't have been smiling any wider as two of her favourite people in the world began to dance.

"Pretty special," said a voice in her ear, making her shiver.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied as Jess appeared at her side. "This was always how it was supposed to be for them. Fate, destiny, call it whatever you want, I never doubted we would get to this day eventually."

"And you were clearly right." Jess nodded. "You look beautiful, by the way. This is the first time I've got to say that."

"Thank you. You look great too," she assured him, before laughing. "This is crazy. I actually feel nervous, like we're on our first date or something."

"It is weird," Jess agreed, hands in his pockets, looking as awkward as she felt. "I blame the wedding."

"Me too." Rory nodded, immediately wincing when she caught sight of her mother waving her arm, encouraging her daughter to dance already, and with Jess apparently.

"Either your mom is landing a plane or she wants us to get out there," said Jess.

"I don't see any jets around," Rory noted.

"So, shall we?" asked Jess, holding out his hand.

Taking a deep breath, Rory turned and put the two glasses onto the table and then placed her hand in Jess' own. He led her out to the floor and they put their arms around each other, moving slowly to the music. Other couples soon filled up the floor, nobody was paying much attention to anybody else, all caught up in their own romantic interlude.

"Rory, these past few weeks..."

"They've been tough," she said before Jess could even finish his thought. "But I'm not sorry about it. I think it's done us good. I mean, the talking and getting to know each other better. It's been good for us."

"I'm not arguing with that," said Jess definitely. "In fact, I was going to say something similar. Honestly, when you wanted to slow things down and... and do the whole serious talking thing, I wasn't sure how I'd handle it. I'm not the guy that talks about his feelings or the past or anything, but I did with you, and it was okay. It is okay," he told her with a smile. "Just one more amazing quality that makes up the wonder of Rory Gilmore."

"You're pretty amazing yourself," she agreed, ducking her head as a blush overtook her one more time. "I wasn't wrong about how good you'd look in that tux either," she told him, leaning in close enough to kiss.

Jess wasn't sure what he was supposed to do here. It wasn't as if they had cut all physical contact, but since the whole slowing down phase began, sex had been off the table. There had been kissing, a little more than kissing a couple of times, but he'd been stuck on second base this whole time and it was becoming painful. As good as Rory looked today, having her this close and saying these things to him, it had to be a sign. She wasn't a cruel tease, not his Rory.

"So, where are you staying tonight?" he asked, feeling safe in the question.

If she meant for them to be together, it would be fine, and if not, he could claim his question was a reasonably innocent moment of curiousity. His heart skipped a beat when she pulled back to meet his eyes, smiling seductively. It was a look he hadn't seen in too long.

"I'm heading back to the house, and since Mom and Luke are leaving for their honeymoon in an hour, I'll be all alone. Unless somebody wanted to come over and keep me company?"

Jess didn't have words and so let his actions speak, pulling Rory closer and kissing her until neither of them could bear to go without oxygen a moment longer. When they parted, Rory gasped in air but quickly found her voice.

"I love you, Jess Mariano," she told him softly. "And I'm sorry for-"

"Doesn't matter," he interrupted before she could say another word. "You needed time and space. Maybe it was the best thing. Now there's no more surprises. We're both going into this with our eyes wide open. After everything, you're looking at me and telling me you love me, and I love you, Rory. I swear to God, I don't know how this happened to me, but... but I can't live without you any more."

"I don't want you to," she promised, feeling oddly emotional as she moved in to kiss him again.

* * *

Maybe it was Luke and Lorelai that actually got married today, but Rory almost felt as if she and Jess had made a similar commitment. They spoke their words of love and forever, and tonight they would re-consummate their union in a bed she hadn't regularly slept in since she left Stars Hollow for New York and a new life. Rory couldn't be happier.

It was late before Lorelai and Luke left for their honeymoon. So many people wanted to wish them well, and the happy couple were pleased enough to be congratulated on their marriage that had been way too long in coming. Just before midnight, Lorelai tossed the bouquet, a parting shot that struck Taylor in the head and fell into Kirk's open arms. Everybody laughed. Finally, they headed off to the airport, with barely enough time to spare. Rory waved until her mom and new step-dad were out of sight, then she grabbed Jess' hand and gave him a smile.

Slipping out of the reception was easy, even though most of the guests were happy to stay on at the inn, revelling in the joy of the day. Nobody was watching the maid of honour and the best man anymore. They hurried away to the house she still thought of as home, moving quickly up the porch steps. Rory's heel broke half way and Jess caught her in true superhero style when she fell, sweeping her up into his arms.

"My hero," she teased him, giddy from champagne and more so from this feeling, like everything was just ending how it was supposed to, or maybe just beginning again as it was always intended.

"Pretty sure this is what the people who actually got married are expected to do, not us," said Jess as he carried Rory to the front door and let her unlock it from his arms.

Despite protesting, he didn't put her down and she clearly didn't want him to. Jess carried Rory into the house, forgetting where he was and what day it had been when she started to kiss him.

Jess had been here before but with his eyes closed and the woman he loved most in the world assaulting his senses, he lost all sense of direction. That wasn't good enough for Rory, because by now she knew exactly where she wanted to be. She muttered words against his lips, a need to be put down on her feet already. From there she could direct them both to her bedroom, though the kissing didn't stop, the need for each other overtaking them.

They tripped through the door, briefly startled and laughing at how stupid they were. Jess' eyes opened and scanned the room he had barely seen before. It wasn't how it would have been when Rory lived here. She had taken most of her belongings to New York when she moved out, but the bed remained, the desk too. Some books she clearly assumed she could do without or wanted here for when she visited, and posters that no longer meant much to their owner. Teenage Rory had lived here, not the woman in Jess' arms right now, and yet he recognised her in every detail somehow.

"This is a little weirder than I thought," she noted, looking around the room herself. "But then I think about before, when we visited Stars Hollow the last time," she said with a smile, looking at Jess in the half light, her fingers messing with his hair. "It might've been like this, if you'd come here all those years ago. I honestly don't think it matters. If we'd have met at seventeen, or seven, or seventy, I think this was always how it was supposed to be. You and me, just like this," she said softly, kissing his lips. "You think so?"

Jess didn't know how to answer that. He knew how screwed up he was as a teenager and hated to think how things might have gone if he met Rory back then. Still, she had a point about them being destined, being just exactly what each other needed. This was how it was supposed to be. He knew it because nothing else made sense. His life made no sense anymore unless Rory was in it. Jess couldn't imagine losing her again, because if she was gone, then there would be nothing left.

"Jess?" she said, a hint of a frown marring her forehead.

He was looking at her so intensely, like he had a hundred things to say but had lost all the words to express them. Rory might have been worried if she didn't know him better, and she had never known Jess better than she did right now.

"Yeah," he said at last, his fingers in her hair, his palm at her cheek. "You and me, just like this."

When he kissed her then, there were no more words, and there didn't need to be. Making love for the first time in weeks was passionate and amazing, then beautiful and lazy as they took their time rediscovering each others bodies, sealing their love that was never in question, but all the stronger for what they had been through.

Jess fell asleep with Rory in his arms, their bodies entwined in the too small bed that was just big enough for them two. For a few minutes she lay awake, just thinking, body humming, trying to remember how to breathe around the euphoria of this moment. Back here where she started, it was almost perfect, because Rory felt like this was a new dawn for the both of them. She drifted off to sleep with her head on Jess' chest, safe in the knowledge that this was just exactly where she was supposed to be, where she was _always_ supposed to be, from the very beginning to the very end.

The End

**A/N2: And that's how that turned out. I rewrote the ending about three times before I was happy with it, so I do hope you like. Also, ICYMI, I have a completely unrelated Christmas one-shot out now for your reading pleasure, titled 'A Gilmore Christmas Miracle', for all your festive Literati needs ;)**


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